The Indians, which were the Inhabitants of America, when the
Spaniards and other Europeans discover'd the several Parts of
that Country, are the People which we reckon the Natives thereof; as indeed
they were, when we first found out those Parts, and appear'd therein. Yet
this has not wrought in me a full Satisfaction, to allow these People to
have been the Ancient Dwellers of the New-World, or Tract of Land we call
America. The Reasons that I have to think otherwise, are too many to set
down here; but I shall give the Reader a few, before I proceed; and some
others he will find scatter'd in my Writings elsewhere.

In Carolina (the Part I now treat of) are the fairest Marks of a
Deluge, (that at some time has probably made strange Alterations, as to the
Station that Country was then in) that ever I saw, or, I think, read of, in
any History. Amongst the other Subterraneous Matters that have been
discover'd, we found, in digging of a Well that was twenty six foot deep, at
the Bottom thereof, many large Pieces of the Tulip-Tree, and several other
sorts of Wood, some of which were cut and notched, and some squared, as the
Joices of a House are, which appear'd (in the Judgment of all that saw them)
tobe wrought with Iron Instruments; itseeming impossible for
anything made of Stone, or what they were found to make use of, to cut Wood
in that manner. It cannot be argu'd, that the Wood so cut, might float from
some other Continent; because Hiccory and the Tulip-Tree are spontaneous in
America, and in no other Places, that I could ever learn. It is to be
acknowledg'd, that the Spaniards give us Relations of magnificent
Buildings, which were raised by the Indians of Mexico and
other Parts, which they discover'd and conquer'd; amongst whom no Iron
Instruments were found: But 'tis a great Misfortune, that no Person in that
Expedition was so curious, as to take an exact Draught of the Fabricks of
those People, which would have been a Discovery of great Value, and very
acceptable to the Ingenious; for, as to the Politeness of Stones, it may be
effected by Collision, and Grinding, which is of a contrary Nature, on
several Accounts, and disproves not my Arguments, in the least.

The next is, the Earthen Pots that are often found under Ground, and at
the Foot of the Banks where the Water has wash'd them away. They are, for
the most part broken in pieces; but we find them of a different sort, in
Comparison of those the Indians use at this day, who have had no
other, ever since the English discover'd America. The Bowels
of the Earth cannot have alter'd them, since they are thicker, of another
Shape, and Composition, and nearly approach to the Urns of the Ancient
Romans.

Again, the Peaches, which are the only tame Fruit, or what is Foreign,
that these People enjoy, which is an Eastern Product, and will keep and
retain its vegetative and growing Faculty, the longest of anything of that
Nature, that I know of. The Stone, as I elsewhere have remark'd, is thicker
than any other sort of the Peaches in Europe, or of the European
sort, now growing in America, and is observed to grow if planted,
after it has been for several Years laid by; and it seems very probable,
that these People might come from some Eastern Country; for when you ask
them whence their Fore-Fathers came, that first inhabited the Country, they
will point to the Westward and say, Where the Sun sleeps, our
Forefathers came thence, which, at that distance, may be reckon'd
amongst the Eastern Parts of the World. And, to this day, they are a
shifting, wandering People; for I know some Indian Nations, that have
chang'd their Settlements, many hundred Miles; sometimes no less than a
thousand, as is prov'd by the Savanna Indians, who formerly lived on
the Banks of the Messiasippi, and remov'd thence to the Head of one
of the Rivers of South-Carolina; since which, (for some Dislike) most
of them are remov'd to live in the Quarters of the Iroquois or
Sinnagars, which are on the Heads of the Rivers that disgorge themselves
into the Bay of Chesapeak. I once met with a young Indian
Woman, that had been brought from beyond the Mountains, and was sold a Slave
into Virginia. She spoke the same Language, as the Coranine
Indians, that dwell near Cape-Look-out, allowing for some
few Words, which were different, yet no otherwise, than that they might
understand one another very well.

The Indians of North-Carolina are a well-shap'd clean-made
People, of different Statures, as the Europeans are, yet chiefly
inclin'd to be tall. They are a very streight People, and never bend
forwards, or stoop in the Shoulders, unless much overpower'd by old Age.
Their Limbs are exceeding well-shap'd. As for their Legs and Feet, they are
generally the handsomest in the World. Their Bodies are a little flat, which
is occasion'd, by being laced hard down to a Board, in their Infancy. This
is all the Cradle they have, which I shall describe at large elsewhere.
Their Eyes are black, or of a dark Hazle; The White is marbled with red
Streaks, which is ever common to these People, unless when sprung from a
white Father or Mother. Their Colour is of a tawny, which would not be so
dark, did they not dawb themselves with Bears Oil, and a Colour like burnt
Cork. This is begun in their Infancy, and continued for a long time, which
fills the Pores, and enables them better to endure the Extremity of the
Weather. They are never bald on their Heads, although never so old, which, I
believe, proceeds from their Heads being always uncover'd, and the greasing
their Hair (so often as they do) with Bears Fat, which is a great Nourisher
of the Hair, and causes it to grow very fast. Amongst the Bears Oil (when
they intend to be fine) they mix a certain red Powder, that comes from a
Scarlet Root which they get in the hilly Country, near the Foot of the Ridge
of Mountains, and it is no where else to be found. They have this Scarlet
Root in great Esteem, and sell it for a very great Price, one to another.
The Reason of its Value is, because they not only go a long way for it, but
are in great Danger of the Sinnagers or Iroquois, who are
mortal Enemies to all our Indians, and very often take them Captives,
or kill them, before they return from this Voyage. The Tuskeruros and
other Indians have often brought this Seed with them from the
Mountains; but it would never grow in our Land. With this and Bears Grease
they anoint their Heads and Temples, which is esteem'd as ornamental, as
sweet Powder to our Hair. Besides, this Root has the Virtue of killing Lice,
and suffers none to abide or breed in their Heads. For want of this Root,
they sometimes use Pecoon-Root, which is of a Crimson Colour, but it
is apt to die the Hair of an ugly Hue.

Their Eyes are commonly full and manly, and their Gate sedate and
majestick. They never walk backward and forward as we do, nor contemplate on
the Affairs of Loss and Gain; the things which daily perplex us. They are
dexterous and steady both as to their Hands and Feet, to Admiration. They
will walk over deep Brooks, and Creeks, on the smallest Poles, and that
without any Fear or Concern. Nay, an Indian will walk on the Ridge of
a Barn or House and look down the Gable-end, and spit upon the Ground, as
unconcern'd, as if he was walking on Terra firma. In Running,
Leaping, or any such other Exercise, their Legs seldom miscarry, and give
them a Fall; and as for letting any thing fall out of their Hands, I never
yet knew one Example. They are no Inventers of any Arts or Trades worthy
mention; the Reason of which I take to be, that they are not possess'd with
that Care and Thoughtfulness, how to provide for the Necessaries of Life, as
the Europeans are; yet they will learn any thing very soon. I have
known an Indian stock Guns better than most of our Joiners,
although he never saw one stock'd before; and besides, his Working-Tool was
only a sorry Knife. I have also known several of them that were Slaves to
the English, learn Handicraft-Trades very well and speedily. I never
saw a Dwarf amongst them, nor but one that was Hump-back'd. Their Teeth are
yellow with Smoaking Tobacco, which both Men and Women are much addicted to.
They tell us, that they had Tobacco amongst them, before the Europeans
made any Discovery of that Continent. It differs in the Leaf from the
sweet-scented, and Oroonoko, which are the Plants we raise and
cultivate in America. Theirs differs likewise much in the Smell, when
green, from our Tobacco, before cured. They do not use the same way to cure
it as we do; and therefore, the Difference must be very considerable in
Taste; for all Men (that know Tobacco) must allow, that it is the Ordering
thereof which gives a Hogoo to that Weed, rather than any Natural Relish it
possesses, when green. Although they are great Smokers, yet they never are
seen to take it in Snuff, or chew it.

They have no Hairs on their Faces (except some few) and those but little,
nor is there often found any Hair under their Arm-Pits. They are continually
plucking it away from their Faces, by the Roots. As for their Privities,
since they wore Tail-Clouts, to cover their Nakedness, several of the Men
have a deal of Hair thereon. It is to be observ'd, that the Head of the
Penis is cover'd (throughout all the Nations of the Indians I
ever saw) both in Old and Young. Although we reckon these a very smooth
People, and free from Hair; yet I once saw a middle-aged Man, that was hairy
all down his Back; the Hairs being above an Inch long.

As there are found very few, or scarce any, Deformed, or Cripples,
amongst them, so neither did I ever see but one blind Man; and then they
would give me no Account how his Blindness came. They had a Use for him,
which was, to lead him with a Girl, Woman, or Boy, by a String; so they put
what Burdens they pleased upon his Back, and made him very serviceable upon
all such Occasions. No People have better Eyes, or see better in the Night
or Day, than the Indians. Some alledge, that the Smoke of the
Pitch-Pine, which they chiefly burn, does both preserve and strengthen the
Eyes; as, perhaps, it may do, because that Smoak never offends the Eyes,
though you hold your Face over a great Fire thereof. This is occasion'd by
the volatile Part of the Turpentine, which rises with the Smoke, and is of a
friendly, balsamick Nature; for the Ashes of the Pine-Tree afford no fix'd
Salt in them.

They let their Nails grow very long, which, they reckon, is the Use Nails
are design'd for, and laugh at the Europeans for pairing theirs,
which, they say, disarms them of that which Nature design'd them for.

They are not of so robust and strong Bodies, as to lift great Burdens,
and endure Labour and slavish Work, as the Europeans are; yet some
that are Slaves, prove very good and laborious: But, of themselves, they
never work as the English do, taking care for no farther than what is
absolutely necessary to support Life. In Travelling and Hunting, they are
very indefatigable; because that carries a Pleasure along with the Profit. I
have known some of them very strong; and as for Running and Leaping, they
are extraordinary Fellows, and will dance for several Nights together, with
the greatest Briskness imaginable, their Wind never failing them.

Their Dances are of different Natures; and for every sort of Dance, they
have a Tune, which is allotted for that Dance; as, if it be a War-Dance,
they have a warlike Song, wherein they express, with all the Passion and
Vehemence imaginable, what they intend to do with their Enemies; how they
will kill, roast, sculp, beat, and make Captive, such and such Numbers of
them; and how many they have destroy'd before. All these Songs are made new
for every Feast; nor is one and the same Song sung at two several Festivals.
Some one of the Nation (which has the best Gift of expressing their Designs)
is appointed by their King, and War-Captains, to make these Songs.

Others are made for Feasts of another Nature; as, when several Towns, or
sometimes, different Nations have made Peace with one another; then the Song
suits both Nations, and relates, how the bad Spirit made them go to War, and
destroy one another; but it shall never be so again; but that their Sons and
Daughters shall marry together, and the two Nations love one another, and
become as one People.

They have a third sort of Feasts and Dances, which are always when the
Harvest of Corn is ended, and in the Spring. The one, to return Thanks to
the good Spirit, for the Fruits of the Earth; the other, to beg the same
Blessings for the succeeding Year. And, to encourage the young Men to labour
stoutly, in planting their Maiz and Pulse, they set a sort of an Idol in the
Field, which is dress'd up exactly like and Indian, having all the
Indians Habit, besides abundance of Wampum, and their Money, made
of Shells, that hangs about his Neck. The Image none of the young Men dare
approach; for the old ones will not suffer them to come near him, but tell
them, that he is some famous Indian Warriour, that died a great while
ago, and now is come amongst them, to see if they work well, which if they
do, he will go to the good Spirit, and speak to him to send them Plenty of
Corn, and to make the young Men all expert Hunters and mighty Warriours. All
this while, the King and old Men sit round the Image, and seemingly pay a
profound Respect to the same. One great Help to these Indians, in
carrying on these Cheats, and inducing Youth to do what they please, is, the
uninterrupted Silence, which is ever kept and observ'd, with all the Respect
and Veneration imaginable.

At these Feasts, which are set out with the Magnificence their Fare
allows of, the Masquerades begin at Night, and not before. There is commonly
a Fire made in the middle of the House, which is the largest in the Town,
and is very often the Dwelling of their King, or War-Captain; where sit two
Men on the Ground, upon a Mat; one with a Rattle, made of a Gourd, with some
Beans in it; the other with a Drum, made of an earthen Pot, cover'd with a
dress'd-Deer-Skin, and one Stick in his Hand to beat thereon; and so they
both begin the Song appointed. At the same time, one drums, and the other
rattles, which is all the artificial Musick of their own making I ever saw
amongst them. To these two Instruments they sing, which carries no Air with
it, but is a sort of unsavoury Jargon; yet their Cadences and Raising of
their Voices are form'd with that Equality and Exactness, that (to us
Europeans) it seems admirable, how they should continue these Songs,
without once missing to agree, each with the others Note and Tune.

As for their Dancing, were there Masters of that Profession amongst them,
as there are with us, they would dearly earn their Money; for these
Creatures take the most Pains at it, that Men are able to endure. I have
seen thirty odd together a dancing, and every one dropp'd down with Sweat,
as if Water had been poured down their Backs. They use those hard Labours,
to make them able to endure Fatigue,

and improve their Wind, which indeed is very long and durable, it being a
hard matter, in any Exercise, to dispossess them of it.

At these Feasts, they meet from all the Towns within fifty or sixty Miles
round, where they buy and sell several Commodities, as we do at Fairs and
Markets. Besides, they game very much, and often strip one another of all
they have in the World; and what is more, I have known several of them play
themselves away, so that they have remain'd the Winners Servants, till their
Relations or themselves could pay the Money to redeem them; and when this
happens, the Loser is never dejected or melancholy at the Loss, but laughs,
and seems no less contented than if he had won. They never differ at Gaming,
neither did I ever see a Dispute, about the Legality thereof, so much as
rise amongst them.

Their chiefest Game is a sort of Arithmetick, which is managed by a
Parcel of small split Reeds, the Thickness of a small Bent; these are made
very nicely, so that they part, and are tractable in their Hands. They are
fifty one in Number, their Length about seven Inches; when they play, they
throw part of them to their Antagonist; the Art is, to discover, upon sight,
how many you have, and what you throw to him that plays with you. Some are
so expert at their Numbers, that they will tell ten times together, what
they throw out of their Hands. Although the whole Play is carried on with
the quickest Motion it's possible to use, yet some are so expert at this
Game, as to win great Indian Estates by this Play. A good Sett of
these Reeds, fit to play withal, are valued and sold for a dress'd Doe-Skin.

They have several other Plays and Games; as, with the Kernels or Stones
of Persimmons, which are in effect the same as our Dice, because Winning or
Losing depend on which side appear uppermost, and how they happen to fall
together.

Another Game is managed with a Batoon and a Ball, and resembles our
Trap-ball; besides, several Nations have several Games and Pastimes, which
are not used by others.

These Savages live in Wigwams, or Cabins built of Bark, which are
made round like an Oven, to prevent any Damage by hard Gales of Wind. They
make the Fire in the middle of the House, and have a Hole at the Top of the
Roof right above the Fire, to let out the Smoke. These Dwellings are as hot
as Stoves, where the Indians sleep and sweat all Night. The Floors
thereof are never paved nor swept, so that they have always a loose Earth on
them. They are often troubled with a multitude of Fleas, especially near the
Places where they dress their Deer-Skins, because that Hair harbours them;
yet I never felt any ill, unsavory Smell in their Cabins, whereas, should we
live in our Houses, as they do, we should be poison'd with our own
Nastiness; which confirms these Indians to be, as they really are,
some of the sweetest People in the World.

The Bark they make their Cabins withal, is generally Cypress, or red or
white Cedar; and sometimes, when they are a great way from any of these
Woods, they make use of Pine-Bark, which is the worser sort. In building
these Fabricks, they get very long Poles, of Pine, Cedar, Hiccory, or any
other Wood that will bend; these are the Thickness of the Small of a Man's
Leg, at the thickest end, which they generally strip of the Bark, and warm
them well in the Fire, which makes them tough and fit to bend; afterwards,
they stick the thickest ends of them in the Ground, about two Yards asunder,
in a Circular Form, the distance they design the Cabin to be, (which is not
always round, but sometimes oval) then they bend the Tops and bring them
together, and bind their ends with Bark of Trees, that is proper for that
use, as Elm is, or sometimes the Moss that grows on the Trees, and is a Yard
or two long, and never rots; then they brace them with other Poles, to make
them strong; afterwards, cover them all over with Bark, so that they are
very warm and tight, and will keep firm against all the Weathers that blow.
They have other sorts of Cabins without Windows, which are for their
Granaries, Skins, and Merchandizes; and others that are cover'd over head;
the rest left open for the Air. These have Reed-Hurdles, like Tables, to lie
and sit on, in Summer, and serve for pleasant Banqueting-Houses in the hot
Season of the Year. The Cabins they dwell in have Benches all round, except
where the Door stands; on these they lay Beasts-Skins, and Mats made of
Rushes, whereon they sleep and loll. In one of these, several Families
commonly live, though all related to one another.

As to the Indians Food, it is of several sorts, which are as
follows.

Venison, and Fawns in the Bags, cut out of the Doe's Belly; Fish of all
sorts, the Lamprey-Eel excepted, and the Sturgeon our Salt-Water Indians
will not touch; Bear and Bever; Panther; Pole-cat; Wild-Cat; Possum;
Raccoon; Hares, and Squirrels, roasted with their Guts in; Snakes, all
Indians will not eat them, tho' some do; All wild Fruits that are
palatable, some of which they dry and keep against Winter, as all sort of
Fruits, and Peaches, which they dry, and make Quiddonies, and Cakes, that
are very pleasant, and a little tartish; young Wasps, when they are white in
the Combs, before they can fly, this is esteemed a Dainty; All sorts of
Tortois and Terebins; Shell-Fish, and Stingray, or Scate, dry'd; Gourds;
Melons; Cucumbers; Squashes; Pulse of all sorts; Rockahomine Meal,
which is their Maiz, parch'd and pounded into Powder; Fowl of all sorts,
that are eatable; Ground-Nuts, or wild Potato's; Acorns and Acorn Oil;
Wild-Bulls, Beef, Mutton, Pork, &c. from the English;
Indian Corn, or Maiz, made into several sorts of Bread; Ears of Corn
roasted in the Summer, or preserv'd against Winter.

The Victuals is common, throughout the whole Kindred Relations, and often
to the whole Town; especially, when they are in Hunting-Quarters, then they
all fare alike, whichsoever of them kills the Game. They are very kind, and
charitable to one another, but more especially to those of their own Nation;
for if an one of them has suffer'd any Loss, by Fire or otherwise, they
order the griev'd Person to make a Feast, and invite them all thereto,
which, on the day appointed, they come to, and after every Man's Mess of
Victuals is dealt to him, one of their Speakers, or grave old Men, makes an
Harrangue, and acquaints the Company, That that Man's House has been burnt,
wherein all his Goods were destroy'd; That he, and his Family very narrowly
escaped; That he is every Man's Friend in that Company; and, That it is all
their Duties to help him, as he would do to any of them, had the like
Misfortune befallen them. After this Oration is over, every Man, according
to his Quality, throws him down upon the Ground some Present, which is
commonly Beads, Ronoak, Peak, Skins or Furs, and which very
often amounts to treble the Loss he has suffer'd. The same Assistance they
give to any Man that wants to build a Cabin, or make a Canoe. They say, it
is our Duty thus to do; for there are several Works that one Man cannot
effect, therefore we must give him our Help, otherwise our Society will
fall, and we shall be depriv'd of those urgent Necessities which Life
requires. They have no Fence to part one anothers Lots in their Corn-Fields;
but every Man knows his own, and it scarce ever happens, that they rob one
another of so much as an Ear of Corn, which if any is found to do, he is
sentenced by the Elders to work and plant for him that was robb'd, till he
is recompensed for all the Damage he has suffer'd in his Corn-Field; and
this is punctually perform'd, and the Thief held in Disgrace, that steals
from any of his Country-Folks. It often happens, that a Woman is destitute
of her Husband, and has a great many Children to maintain; such a Person
they always help, and make their young men Plant, reap, and do every thing
that she is not capable of doing herself; yet they do not allow any one to
be idle, but to employ themselves in some Work or other.

They never fight with one another, unless drunk, nor do you ever hear any
Scolding amongst them. They say, the Europeans are always rangling
and uneasy, and wonder they do not go out of this World, since they are so
uneasy and discontented in it. All their Misfortunes and Losses end in
Laughter; for if their Cabins take Fire, and all their goods are burnt
therein, (indeed, all will strive to prevent farther Damage, whilst there is
any Possibility) yet such a Misfortune ends in a hearty Fitt of Laughter,
unless some of their Kinsfolks and Friends have lost their Lives; but then
the Case is alter'd, and they become very pensive, and go into deep
Mourning, which is continued for a considerable Time; sometimes longer, or
shorter, according to the Dignity of the Person, and the Number of Relations
he had near him.

The Burial of their Dead is perform'd with a great deal of Ceremony, in
which one Nation differs in some few Circumstances, from another, yet not so
much but we may, by a general Relation, pretty nearly account for them all.

When an Indian is dead, the greater Person he was, the more
expensive is his Funeral. The first thing which is done, is, to place the
nearest Relations near the Corps, who mourn and weep very much, having their
Hair hanging down their Shoulders, in a very forlorn manner. After the dead
Person has lain a Day and a Night, in one of their Hurdles of Canes,
commonly in some Out-House made for that purpose, those that officiate about
the Funeral, go into the Town, and the first young Men they meet withal,
that have Blankets or Match Coats on, whom they think fit for their Turn,
they strip them from their Backs, who suffer them so to do, without any
Resistance. In these they wrap the dead Bodies, and cover them with two or
three Mats, which the Indians make of Rushes or Cane; and last of
all, they have a long Web of woven Reeds, or hollow Canes, which is the
Coffin of the Indians, and is brought round several times, and tied
fast at both ends, which indeed, looks very decent and well. Then the Corps
is brought out of the House, into the Orchard of Peach-Trees, where another
Hurdle is made to receive it, about which comes all the Relations and Nation
that the dead Person belong'd to, besides several from other Nations in
Alliance with them; all which sit down on the Ground, upon Mats spread
there, for that purpose; where the Doctor or Conjurer appears; and, after
some time, makes a Sort of O-yes, at which all are very silent; then
he begins to give an Account, who the dead Person was, and how stout a Man
he approv'd himself; how many Enemies and Captives he had kill'd and taken;
how strong, tall, and nimble he was; that he was a great Hunter; a Lover of
his Country, and posess'd of a great many beautiful Wives and Children,
esteem'd the greatest of Blessings among these Savages, in which they have a
true Notion. Thus this Orator runs on, highly extolling the dead Man, for
his Valour, Conduct, Strength, Riches, and Good-Humour; and enumerating his
Guns, Slaves and almost every thing he was possess'd of, when living. After
which, he addresses himself to the People of that Town or Nation, and bids
them supply the dead Man's Place, by following his steps, who, he assures
them, is gone into the Country of Souls, (which they think lies a great way
off, in this World, which the Sun visits, in his ordinary Course) and that
he will have the Enjoyment of handsome young Women, great Store of Deer to
hunt, never meet with Hunger, Cold or Fatigue, but every thing to answer his
Expectation and Desire. This is the Heaven they propose to themselves; but,
on the contrary, for those Indians that are lazy, thievish amongst
themselves, bad Hunters, and no Warriours, nor of much Use to the Nation, to
such they allot, in the next World, Hunger, Cold, Troubles, old ugly Women
for their Companions, with Snakes, and all sorts of nasty Victuals to feed
on. Thus is mark'd out their Heaven and Hell. After all this Harangue, he
diverts the People with some of their Traditions, as when there was a
violent hot Summer, or very hard Winter; when any notable Distempers rag'd
amongst them; when they were at War with such and such Nations; how
victorious they were; and what were the Names of their War-Captains. To
prove the times more exactly, he produces the Records of the Country, which
are a Parcel of Reeds, of different Lengths, with several distinct Marks,
known to none but themselves; by which they seem to guess, very exactly, at
Accidents that happen'd many Years ago; nay two or three Ages or more. The
Reason I have to believe what they tell me, on this Account, is, because I
have been at the Meetings of several Indian Nations; and they agreed,
in relating the same Circumstances, as to Time, very exactly; as, for
Example, they say, there was so hard a Winter in Carolina, 105 Years
ago, that the great Sound was frozen over, and the Wild Geese came into the
Woods to eat Acorns, and that they were so tame, (I suppose, through Want)
that they kill'd abundance in the Woods, by knocking them on the Head with
Sticks.

But, to return to the dead Man. When this long Tale is ended, by him that
spoke first; perhaps, a second begins another long Story; so a third, and
fourth, if there be so many Doctors present; which all tell one and the same
thing. At last, the Corps is brought away from that Hurdle to the Grave, by
four young Men, attended by the Relations, the King, old Men, and all the
Nation. When they come to the Sepulcre, which is about six Foot deep, and
eight Foot long, having at each end (that is, at the Head and Foot) a
Light-Wood, or Pitch-Pine Fork driven close down the sides of the Grave,
firmly into the Ground; (these two Forks are to contain a Ridge-Pole, as you
shall understand presently) before they lay the Corps into the Grave, they
cover the bottom two or three times over with Bark of Trees, then they let
down the Corps (with two Belts, that the Indians carry their Burdens
withal) very leisurely, upon the said Barks; then they lay over a Pole of
the same Wood, in the two Forks, and having a great many Pieces of
Pitch-Pine Logs, about two Foot and a half long, they stick them in the
sides of the Grave down each End, and near the Top thereof, where the other
Ends lie on the Ridge-Pole, so that they are declining like the Roof of a
House. These being very thick-plac'd, they cover them (many times double)
with Bark; then they throw the Earth thereon, that came out of the Grave,
and beat it down very firm; by this Means, the dead Body lies in a Vault,
nothing touching him; so that when I saw this way of Burial, I was mightily
pleas'd with it, esteeming it very decent and pretty, as having seen a great
many Christians buried without the tenth Part of that Ceremony and Decency.
Now, when the Flesh is rotted and moulder'd from the Bone, they take up the
Carcass, and clean the Bones, and joint them together; afterwards, they
dress them up in pure white dress'd Deer-Skins, and lay them amongst their
Grandees and Kings in the Quiogozon, which is their Royal Tomb or
Burial-Place of their Kings and War-Captains. This is a very large
magnificent Cabin, (according to their Building) which is rais'd at the
Publick Charge of the Nation, and maintain'd in a great deal of Form and
Neatness. About seven Foot high, is a Floor or Loft made, on which lie all
their Princes, and Great Men, that have died for several hundred Years, all
attir'd in the Dress I before told you of. No Person is to have his Bones
lie here, and to be thus dress'd, unless he gives a round Sum of their Money
to the Rulers, for Admittance. If they remove never so far, to live in a
Foreign Country, they never fail to take all these dead Bones along with
them, though the Tediousness of their short daily Marches keeps them never
so long on their Journey. They reverence and adore this Quiogozon,
with all the Veneration and Respect that is possible for such a People to
discharge, and had rather lose all, than have any Violence or Injury offer'd
thereto. These Savages differ some small matter in their Burials; some
burying right upwards, and otherwise, as you are acquainted withal in my
Journal from South to North Carolina; Yet they all agree in their
Mourning, which is, to appear every Night, at the Sepulcre, and howl and
weep in a very dismal manner, having their Faces dawb'd over with Light-wood
Soot, (which is the same as Lamp-black) and Bears Oil. This renders them as
black as it is possible to make themselves, so that theirs very much
resemble the Faces of Executed Men boil'd in Tar. If the dead Person was a
Grandee, to carry on the Funeral Ceremonies, they hire People to cry and
lament over the dead Man. Of this sort there are several, that practice it
for a Livelihood, and are very expert at Shedding abundance of Tears, and
howling like Wolves, and so discharging their Office with abundance of
Hypocrisy and Art. The Women are never accompanied with these Ceremonies
after Death; and to what World they allot that Sex, I never understood,
unless, to wait on their dead Husbands; but they have more Wit, than some of
the other Eastern Nations, who sacrifice themselves to accompany their
Husbands into the next World. It is the dead Man's Relations, by Blood, as
his Uncles, Brothers, Sisters, Cousins, Sons and Daughters, that mourn in
good earnest, the Wives thinking their Duty is discharg'd, and that they are
become free, when their Husband is dead; so, as fast as they can, look out
for another, to supply his Place.

As for the Indian Women, which now happen in my Way; when young,
and at Maturity, they are as fine-shap'd Creatures (take them generally) as
any in the Universe. They are of a tawny Complexion; their Eyes very brisk
and amorous; their Smiles afford the finest Composure a Face can possess,
their Hands are of the finest Make, with small long Fingers, and as soft as
their Cheeks, and their whole Bodies of a smooth Nature. They are not so
uncouth or unlikely, as we suppose them; nor are they Strangers or not
Proficients in the soft Passion. They are most of them mercenary, except the
married Women, who sometimes bestow their Favours also to some or other, in
their Husbands Absence. For which they never ask any Reward. As for the
Report, that they are never found unconstant, like the Europeans, it
is wholly false; for were the old World and the new one put into a Pair of
Scales (in point of Constancy) it would be a hard Matter to discern which
was the heavier. As for the Trading Girls, which are those design'd to get
Money by their Natural Parts, these are discernable, by the Cut of their
Hair; their Tonsure differing from all others, of that Nation, who are not
of their Profession; which Method is intended to prevent Mistakes; for the
Savages of America are desirous (if possible) to keep their Wives to
themselves, as well as those in other Parts of the World. When any Addresses
are made to one of these Girls, she immediately acquaints her Parents
therewith, and they tell the King of it, (provided he that courts her be a
Stranger) his Majesty commonly being the principal Bawd of the Nation he
rules over, and there seldom being any of these Winchester-Weddings
agreed on, without his Royal Consent. He likewise advises her what Bargain
to make, and if it happens to be an Indian Trader that wants a
Bed-fellow, and has got Rum to sell, be sure, the King must have a large
Dram for a Fee, to confirm the Match. These Indians, that are of the
elder sort, when any such Question is put to them, will debate the Matter
amongst themselves with all the Sobriety and Seriousness imaginable, every
one of the Girl's Relations arguing the Advantage or Detriment that may
ensue such a Night's Encounter; all which is done with as much Steadiness
and Reality, as if it was the greatest Concern in the World, and not so much
as one Person shall be seen to smile, so long as the Debate holds, making no
Difference betwixt an Agreement of this Nature, and a Bargain of any other.
If they comply with the Men's Desire, then a particular Bed is provided for
them, either in a Cabin by themselves, or else all the young people turn
out, to another Lodging, that they may not spoil Sport; and if the old
People are in the same Cabin along with them all Night, they lie as
unconcern'd, as if they were so many Logs of Wood. If it be an Indian
of their own Town or Neighbourhood, that wants a Mistress, he comes to none
but the Girl, who receives what she thinks fit to ask him, and so lies all
Night with him, without the Consent of her Parents.

The Indian Traders are those which travel and abide amongst the
Indians for a long space of time; sometimes for a Year, two, or three.
These Men have commonly their Indian Wives, whereby they soon learn
the Indian Tongue, keep a Friendship with the Savages; and, besides
the Satisfaction of a She-Bed-Fellow, they find these Indian Girls
very serviceable to them, on Account of dressing their Victuals, and
instructing 'em in the Affairs and Customs of the Country.

Moreover, such a Man gets a great Trade with the Savages; for when a
Person that lives amongst them, is reserv'd from the Conversation of their
Women, 'tis impossible for him ever to accomplish his Designs amongst that
People.

But one great Misfortune which oftentimes attends those that converse
with these Savage Women, is, that they get Children by them, which are
seldom educated any otherwise than in a State of Infidelity; for it is a
certain Rule and Custom, amongst all the Savages of America, that I
was ever acquainted withal, to let the Children always fall to the Woman's
Lot; for it often happens, that two Indians that have liv'd together,
as Man and Wife, in which Time they have had several Children; if they part,
and another Man possesses her, all the Children go along with the Mother,
and none with the Father. And therefore, on this Score, it ever seems
impossible for the Christians to get their Children (which they have by
these Indian Women) away from them; whereby they might bring them up
in the Knowledge of the Christian Principles. Nevertheless, we often find,
that English Men, and other Europeans that have been
accustom'd to the Conversation of these savage Women, and their Way of
Living, have been so allur'd with that careless sort of Life, as to be
constant to their Indian Wife, and her Relations, so long as they
liv'd, without ever desiring to return again amongst the English,
although they had very fair Opportunities of Advantages amongst their
Countrymen; of which sort I have known several.

As for the Indian Marriages, I have read and heard of a great deal
of Form and Ceremony used, which I never saw, nor yet could learn in the
Time I have been amongst them, any otherwise than I shall here give you an
Account of; which is as follows.

When any young Indian has a Mind for such a Girl to his Wife, he,
or some one for him, goes to the young Woman's Parents, if living; if not,
to her nearest Relations; where they make Offers of the Match betwixt the
Couple. The Relations reply, they will consider of it, which serves for a
sufficient Answer, till there be a second Meeting about the Marriage, which
is generally brought into Debate before all the Relations (that are old
People) on both Sides; and sometimes the King, with all his great Men, give
their Opinions therein. If it be agreed on, and the young Woman approve
thereof, (for these Savages never give their Children in Marriage, without
their own Consent) the Man pays so much for his Wife; and the handsomer she
is, the greater Price she bears. Now, it often happens, that the Man has not
so much of their Money ready, as he is to pay for his Wife; but if they know
him to be a good Hunter, and that he can raise the Sum agreed for, in some
few Moons, or any little time, they agree, she shall go along with him, as
betroth'd, but he is not to have any Knowledge of her, till the utmost
Payment is discharg'd; all which is punctually observ'd. Thus, they lie
together under one Covering for several Months, and the Woman remains the
same as she was when she first came to him. I doubt, our Europeans
would be apt to break this Custom, but the Indian Men are not so
vigorous and impatient in their Love as we are. Yet the Women are quite
contrary, and those Indian Girls that have convers'd with the
English and other Europeans, never care for the Conversation of
their own Countrymen afterwards.

They never marry so near as a first Cousin; and although there is nothing
more coveted amongst them, than to marry a Woman of their own Nation, yet
when the Nation consists of a very few People (as now adays it often
happens) so that they are all of them related to one another, then they look
out for Husbands and Wives amongst Strangers. For if an Indian lies
with his Sister, or any very near Relation, his Body is burnt, and his Ashes
thrown into the River, as unworthy to remain on Earth; yet an Indian
is allow'd to marry two Sisters, or his Brothers Wife. Although these People
are call'd Savages, yet Sodomy is never heard of amongst them, and they are
so far from the Practice of that beastly and loathsome Sin, that they have
no Name for it in all their Language.

The Marriages of these Indians are no farther binding, than the
Man and Woman agree together. Either of them has Liberty to leave the other,
upon any frivolous Excuse they can make; yet whosoever takes the Woman that
was another Man's before, and bought by him, as they all are, must certainly
pay to her former Husband, whatsoever he gave for her. Nay, if she be a
Widow, and her Husband died in Debt, whosoever takes her to Wife, pays all
her Husband's Obligations, though never so many; yet the Woman is not
required to pay any thing (unless she is willing) that was owing from her
Husband, so long as she keeps Single. But if a Man courts her for a Nights
Lodging, and obtains it, the Creditors will make him pay her Husband's
Debts, and he may, if he will, take her for his Money, or sell her to
another for his Wife. I have seen several of these Bargains driven in a day;
for you may see Men selling their Wives as Men do Horses in a Fair, a Man
being allow'd not only to change as often as he pleases, but likewise to
have as many Wives as he is able to maintain. I have often seen, that very
old Indian Men (that have been Grandees in their own Nation) have had
three or four very likely young Indian Wives, which I have much
wondered at, because to me they seem'd incapacitated to make good Use of one
of them.

The young Men will go in the Night from one House to another, to visit
the young Women, in which sort of Rambles they will spend the whole Night.
In their Addresses they find no Delays, for if she is willing to entertain
the Man, she gives him Encouragement and grants him Admittance; otherwise
she withdraws her Face from him, and says, I cannot see you, either you or I
must leave this Cabin, and sleep somewhere else this Night.

They are never to boast of their Intrigues with the Women. If they do,
none of the Girls value them ever after, or admit of their Company in their
Beds. This proceeds not on the score of Reputation, for there is no such
thing (on that account) known amongst them; and although we may reckon them
the greatest Libertines and most extravagant in their Embraces, yet they
retain and possess a Modesty that requires those Passions never to be
divulged.

The Trading Girls, after they have led that Course of Life, for several
Years, in which time they scarce ever have a Child; (for they have an Art to
destroy the Conception, and she that brings a Child in this Station, is
accounted a Fool, and her Reputation is lessen'd thereby) at last they grow
weary of so many, and betake themselves to a married State, or to the
Company of one Man; neither does their having been common to so many any
wise lessen their Fortunes, but rather augment them.

The Woman is not punish'd for Adultery, but 'tis the Man that makes the
injur'd Person Satisfaction, which is the Law of Nations practis'd amongst
them all; and he that strives to evade such Satisfaction as the Husband
demands, lives daily in Danger of his Life; yet when discharg'd, all
Animosity is laid aside, and the Cuckold is very well pleased with his
Bargain, whilst the Rival is laugh'd at by the whole Nation, for carrying on
his intrigue with no better Conduct, than to be discover'd and pay so dear
for his Pleasure.

The Indians say, that the Woman is a weak Creature, and easily
drawn away by the Man's Persuasion; for which Reason, they lay no Blame upon
her, but the Man (that ought to be Master of his Passion) for persuading her
to it.

They are of a very hale Constitution; their Breaths are as Sweet as the
Air they breathe in, and the Woman seems to be of that tender Composition,
as if they were design'd rather for the Bed than Bondage. Yet their Love is
never of that Force and Continuance, that any of them ever runs Mad, or
makes away with themselves on that score. They never love beyond Retrieving
their first Indifferency, and when slighted, are as ready to untie the Knot
at one end, as you are at the other.

Yet I knew an European Man that had a Child or two by one of these
Indian Women, and afterwards married a Christian, after which he came
to pass away a Night with his Indian Mistress; but she made Answer
that she then had forgot she ever knew him, and that she never lay with
another Woman's Husband, so fell a crying, and took up the Child she had by
him, and went out of the Cabin (away from him) in great Disorder.

The Indian Womens Work is to cook the Victuals for the whole
Family, and to make Mats, Baskets, Girdles of Possum-Hair, and such-like.
They never plant the Corn amongst us, as they do amongst the Iroquois,
who are always at War and Hunting; therefore, the Plantation Work is left
for the Women and Slaves to perform, and look after; whilst they are
wandring all over the Continent betwixt the two Bays of Mexico and
St. Laurence.

The Mats the Indian Women make, are of Rushes, and about five Foot
high, and two Fathom long, and sew'd double, that is, two together; whereby
they become very commodious to lay under our Beds, or to sleep on in the
Summer Season in the Day-time, and for our Slaves in the Night.

There are other Mats made of Flags, which the Tuskeruro Indians
make, and sell to the Inhabitants.

The Baskets our Neighbouring Indians make, are all made of a very
fine sort of Bulrushes, and sometimes of Silk-grass, which they work with
Figures of Beasts, Birds, Fishes, &c.

A great way up in the Country, both Baskets and Mats are made of the
split Reeds, which are only the outward shining Part of the Cane. Of these I
have seen Mats, Baskets, and Dressing-Boxes, very artificially done.

The Savage Women of America, have very easy Travail with their
Children; sometimes they bring Twins, and are brought to bed by themselves,
when took at a Disadvantage; not but they have Midwives amongst them, as
well as Doctors, who make it their Profession (for Gain) to assist and
deliver Women, and some of these Midwives are very knowing in several
Medicines that Carolina affords, which certainly expedite, and make
easy Births. Besides, they are unacquainted with those severe Pains which
follow the Birth in our European Women. Their Remedies are a great
Cause of this Easiness in that State; for the Indian Women will run
up and down the Plantation, the same day, very briskly, and without any sign
of Pain or Sickness; yet they look very meager and thin. Not but that we
must allow a great deal owing to the Climate, and the natural Constitution
of these Women, whose Course of Nature never visits them in such Quantities,
as the European Women have. And tho' they never want Plenty of Milk,
yet I never saw an Indian Woman with very large Breasts; neither does
the youngest Wife ever fail of proving so good a Nurse, as to bring her
Child up free from the Rickets and Disasters that proceed from the Teeth,
with many other Distempers which attack our Infants in England, and
other Parts of Europe. They let their Children suck till they are
well grown, unless they prove big with Child sooner. They always nurse their
own Children themselves, unless Sickness or Death prevents. I once saw a
Nurse hired to give Suck to an Indian Woman's Child, which you have
in my Journal. After Delivery, they absent the Company of a Man for forty
days. As soon as the Child is born, they wash it in cold Water at the next
Stream, and then bedawb it,as I have mention'd before. After which,
the Husband takes care to provide a Cradle, which is soon made, consisting
of a Piece of flat Wood, which they hew with their Hatchets to the Likeness
of a Board; it is about two Foot long, and a Foot broad; to this they brace
and tie the Child down very close, having, near the middle, a Stick fasten'd
about two Inches from the Board, which is for the Child's Breech to rest on,
under which they put a Wad of Moss, that receives the Child's Excrements, by
which means they can shift the Moss, and keep all clean and sweet. Some
Nations have very flat Heads, as you have heard in my Journal, which is made
whilst tied on this Cradle, as that Relation informs you. These Cradles are
apt to make the Body flat; yet they are the most portable things that can be
invented; for there is a String which goes from one Corner of the Board to
the other, whereby the Mother flings her Child on her Back; so the Infant's
Back is towards hers, and its Face looks up towards the Sky. If it rains,
she throws her Leather or Woollen Match-coat, over her Head, which covers
the Child all over, and secures her and it from the Injuries of rainy
Weather. The Savage Women quit all Company, and dress not their own Victuals
during their Purgations.

After they have had several Children, they grow strangely out of Shape in
their Bodies; As for Barrenness, I never knew any of their Women, that have
not Children when marry'd.

The Womens Dress is, in severe Weather, a hairy Match-coat in the Nature
of a Plad, which keeps out the Cold, and (as I said before) defends their
Children from the Prejudices of the Weather. At other times, they have only
a sort of Flap or Apron containing two Yards in Length, and better than half
a Yard deep. Sometimes it isa Deer-Skin dress'd white, and pointed
or slit at the bottom, like Fringe. When this is clean, it becomes them very
well. Others wear blue or red Flaps made of Bays and Plains, which they buy
of the English, of both which they tuck in the Corners, to fasten the
Garment, and sometimes make it fast with a Belt. All of them, when ripe,
have a small String round the Waste, to which another is tied and comes
between their Legs, where always is a Wad of Moss against the Os pubis;
but never any Hair is there to be found: Sometimes, they wear Indian
Shooes, or Moggizons, which are made after the same manner, as the Mens are.
The Hair of their Heads is made into a long Roll like a Horses Tail, and
bound round with Ronoak or Porcelan, which is a sort of beads
they make of the Conk-Shells. Others that have not this, make a
Leather-String serve.

The Indian Men have a Match-Coat of Hair, Furs, Feathers, or
Cloth, as the Women have. Their Hair is roll'd up, on each Ear, as the
Womens, only much shorter, and oftentimes a Roll on the Crown of the Head,
or Temples, which is just as they fancy; there being no Strictness in their
Dress. Betwixt their Legs comes a Piece of Cloth, that is tuck'd in by a
Belt both before and behind. This is to hide their Nakedness, of which
Decency they are very strict Observers, although never practiced before the
Christians came amongst them. They wear Shooes, of Bucks, and sometimes
Bears Skin, which they tan in an Hour or two; with the Bark of Trees boil'd,
wherein they put the Leather whilst hot, and let it remain a little while,
whereby it becomes so qualify'd as to endure Water and Dirt, without growing
hard. These have no Heels, and are made as Fit for the Feet, as a Glove is
for the Hand, and are very easie to travel in, when one is a little us'd to
them. When these Savages live near the Water, they frequent the Rivers in
Summer-time very much, where both Men and Women very often in a day go in
naked to wash themselves, though not both Sexes together.

Their Feather Match-Coats are very pretty, especially some of them, which
are made extraordinary charming, containing several pretty figures wrought
in Feathers, making them seem like a fine Flower Silk-Shag; and when new and
fresh, they become a Bed very well, instead of a Quilt. Some of another sort
are made of Hare, Raccoon, Bever, or Squirrel-Skins, which are very warm.
Others again are made of the green Part of the Skin of a Mallard's Head,
which they sew perfectly well together, their Thread being either the Sinews
of a Deer divided very small, or Silk-Grass. When these are finish'd, they
look very finely, though they must needs be very troublesome to make. Some
of their great Men, as Rulers and such, that have Plenty of Deer Skins by
them, will often buy the English-made Coats, which they wear on
Festivals and other Days of Visiting. Yet none ever buy any Breeches,
saying, that they are too much confin'd in them, which prevents their Speed
in running, &c.

We have some Indians, that are more civilized than the rest, which
wear Hats, Shooes, Stockings, and Breeches, with very tolerable Linnen
Shirts, which is not common amongst these Heathens. The Paspitank Indians
did formerly keep Cattle, and make Butter.

These are them that wear the English Dress. Whether they have
Cattle now or no, I am not certain; but I am of the Opinion that such
Inclinations in the Savages should meet with Encouragement, and every
Englishman ought to do them Justice, and not defraud them of their Land,
which has been allotted them formerly by the Government; for if we do not
shew them Examples of Justice and Vertue, we can never bring them to believe
us to be a worthier Race of Men than themselves.

The Dresses of these People are so different, according to the Nation
that they belong to, that it is impossible to recount all the whimsical
Figures that they sometimes make by their Antick Dresses. Besides,
Carolina is a warm Country, and very mild in its Winters, to what
Virginia, Maryland, Pensylvania, New-York, the
Jerseys, and New-England are; wherefore, our Indians Habit
very much differs from the Dresses that appear amongst the Savages who
inhabit those cold Countries; in regard their chiefest Cloathing for the
Winter-Season is made of the Furs of Bever, Raccoon, and other Northern
Furs, that our Climate is not acquainted withal, they producing some Furs,
as the Monack, Moor, Marten, Black Fox, and others to us unknown.

Their Dress in Peace and War, is quite different. Besides, when they go
to War, their Hair is comb'd out by the Women, and done over very much with
Bears Grease, and red Root; with Feathers, Wings, Rings, Copper, and Peak,
or Wampum in their Ears. Moreover, they buy Vermillion of the
Indian Traders, wherewith they paint their Faces all over red, and
commonly make a Circle of Black about one Eye, and another Circle of White
about the other, whilst others bedawb their Faces with Tobacco-Pipe Clay,
Lamp-black, black Lead, and divers other Colours, which they make with the
several sorts of Minerals and Earths that they get in different Parts of the
Country, where they hunt and travel. When these Creatures are thus painted,
they make the most frightful Figures that can be imitated by Men, and seem
more like Devils than Human Creatures. You may be sure, that they are about
some Mischief, when you see them thus painted; for in all the Hostilities
which have ever been acted against the English at any time, in
several of the Plantations of America, the Savages always appear'd in
this Disguize, whereby they might never after be discover'd, or known by any
of the Christians that should happen to see them after they had made their
Escape; for it is impossible, ever to know an Indian under these
Colours, although he has been at your House a thousand times, and you know
him, at other times, as well as you do any Person living. As for their
Women, they never use any Paint on their Faces; neither do they ever carry
them along with them into the Field, when they intend any Expedition,
leaving them at home with the old Men and Children.

Some of the Indians wear great Bobs in their Ears, and sometimes
in the Holes thereof they put Eagles and other Birds, Feathers, for a
Trophy. When they kill any Fowl, they commonly pluck off the downy Feathers,
and stick them all over their Heads. Some (both Men and Women) wear great
Necklaces of their Money made of Shells. They often wear Bracelets made of
Brass, and sometimes of Iron Wire.

Their Money is of different sorts, but all made of Shells,which
are found on the Coast of Carolina, which are very large and hard, so
that they are very difficult to cut. Some English Smiths have try'd
to drill this sort of Shell-Money, and there by thought to get an Advantage;
but it prov'd so hard, that nothing could be gain'd. They often times make,
of this Shell, a sort of Gorge, which they wear about their Neck in a
string; so it hangs on their Collar, whereon sometimes is engraven a Cross,
or some odd sort of Figure, which comes next in their Fancy. There are other
sorts valued at a Doe-Skin, yet the Gorges will sometimes sell for three or
four Buck-Skins ready drest. There be others, that eight of them go readily
for a Doe Skin; but the general and current Species of all the Indians
in Carolina, and, I believe, all over the Continent, as far as theBay of Mexico, is that which we call Peak, and Ronoak;
but Peak more especially. This is that which at New-York, they
call Wampum, and have used it as current Money amongst the
Inhabitants for a great many Years. This is what many Writers call
Porcelan, and is made at New-York in great Quantities, and with
us in some measure. Five Cubits of this purchase a dress'd Doe-Skin, and
seven or eight purchase a dress'd Buck-Skin. An English-man could not
afford to make so much of this Wampum for five or ten times the
Value; for it is made out of a vast great Shell, of which that Country
affords Plenty; where it is ground smaller than the small End of a
Tobacco-Pipe, or a large Wheat-Straw. Four or five of these make an Inch,
and every one is to be drill'd through, and made as smooth as Glass, and so
strung, as Beds are, and a Cubit of the Indian Measure contains as
much in Length, as will reach from the Elbow to the End of the little
Finger. They never stand to question, whether it is a tall Man, or a short
one, that measures it; but if this Wampum Peak be black or purple, as
some Part of that Shell is, then it is twice the Value. This the Indians
grind on Stones and other things, till they make it current but the Drilling
is the most difficult to the English-men, which the Indians
manage with a Nail stuck in a Cane or Reed. Thus they roll it continually on
their Thighs, with their Right-hand, holding the Bit of Shell with their
Left, so in time they drill a Hole quite through it, which is a very tedious
Work; but especially in making their Ronoak, four of which will
scarce make one Length of Wampum. The Indians are a People
that never value their time, so that they can afford to make them, and never
need to fear the English will take the Trade out of their Hands. This
is the Money with which you may buy Skins, Furs, Slaves, or any thing the
Indians have; it being the Mammon (as our Money is to us) that entices
and persuades them to do any thing, and part with every thing they possess,
except their Children for Slaves. As for their Wives, they are often sold,
and their Daughters violated for it. With this they buy off Murders; and
whatsoever a Man can do that is ill, this Wampum will quit him of,
and make him, in their Opinion, good and vertuous, though never so black
before.

All the Indians give a Name to their Children, which is not the
same as the Father or Mother, but what they fancy. This Name they keep, (if
Boys) till they arrive to the Age of a Warriour, which is sixteen or
seventeen Years; then they take a Name to themselves, sometimes, Eagle,
Panther, Allegator, or some such wild Creature; esteeming
nothing on Earth worthy to give them a Name, but these Wild-Fowl, and
Beasts. Some again take the Name of a Fish, which they keep as long as they
live.

The King is the Ruler of the Nation, and has others under him, to assist
him, as his War-Captains, and Counsellors, who are pick'd out and chosen
from among the ancientest Men of the Nation he is King of. These meet him in
all general Councils and Debates, concerning War, Peace, Trade, Hunting, and
all the Adventures and Accidents of Humane Affairs, which appear within
their Verge; where all Affairs are discoursed of and argued pro and
con, very deliberately (without making any manner of Parties or
Divisions) for the Good of the Publick; for, as they meet there to treat,
they discharge their Duty with all the Integrity imaginable, never looking
towards their Own Interest, before the Publick Good. After every Man has
given his Opinion, that which has most Voices, or, in Summing up, is found
the most reasonable, that they make use of without any Jars and Wrangling,
and put it in Execution, the first Opportunity that offers.

The Succession falls not to the King's Son, but to his Sister's Son,
which is a sure way to prevent Impostors in the Succession. Sometimes they
poison the Heir to make way for another, whichis not seldom done,
when they do not approve of the Youth that is to succeed them. The King
himself is commonly chief Doctor in that Cure.

They are so well versed in Poison, that they are often found to poison
whole Families; nay, most of a Town; and which is most to be admired, they
will poison a running Spring, or Fountain of Water, so that whosoever drinks
thereof, shall infallible die. When the Offender is discover'd, his very
Relations urge for Death, whom nothing will appease, but the most cruel
Torment imaginable, which is executed in the most publick Manner that it's
possible to act such a Tragedy in. For all the whole Nation, and all the
Indians within a hundred Mile (if it is possible to send for them) are
summon'd to come and appear at such a Place and Time, to see and rejoyce at
the Torments and Death of such a Person, who is the common and profess'd
Enemy to all the friendly Indians thereabouts, who now lies under the
Condemnation of the whole Nation, and accordingly is to be put to Death.
Then all appear (young and old) from all the adjacent Parts, and meet, with
all the Expressions of Joy, to consummate this horrid and barbarous Feast,
which, is carried on after this dismal Manner. First, they bring the
Prisoner to the Place appointed for the Execution, where he is set down on
his Breech on the Ground. Then they all get about him, and you shall not see
one sorrowful or dejected Countenance amongst them, but all very merrily
dispos'd, as if some Comedy was to be acted, instead of a Tragedy. He that
is appointed to be the chief Executioner, takes a Knife, and bids him hold
out his Hands, which he does, and then cuts round the Wrist through the
Skin, which is drawn off like a Glove, and flead quite off at the Fingers
Ends; then they break his Joints and Bones, and buffet and torment him after
a very inhumane Manner, till some violent Blow perhaps ends his Days; then
they burn him to Ashes, and throw them down the River. Afterwards they eat,
drink and are merry, repeating all the Actions of the Tormentors and the
Prisoner, with a great deal of Mirth and Satisfaction. This Accusation is
laid against an Indian Heroe sometimes wrongfully, or when they have
a mind to get rid of a Man that has more Courage and Conduct than his
neighbouring Kings or great Men; then they alledge the Practice of poisoning
Indians against him, and make a Rehearsal of every Indian that
died for a year or two, and say, that they were poison'd by such an
Indian; which Reports stir up all the Relations of the deceased against
the said Person, and by such means make him away presently. In some Affairs,
these Savages are very reserv'd and politick, and will attend a long time
with a great deal of Patience, to bring about their Designs; they being
never impatient or hasty in executing any of their Designs of Revenge.

Now I am gone so far in giving an Account of the Indians Temper, I
will proceed; and can give you no other Character of them, but that they are
a very wary People, and are never hasty or impatient. They will endure a
great, many Misfortunes, Losses, and Disapointments without shewing
themselves, in the least, vex'd or uneasy. When they go by Water, if there
proves a Head-Wind, they never vex and fret, as the Europeans do, and
let what Misfortune come to them, as will or can happen, they never relent.
Besides, there is one Vice very common every where, which I never found
amongst them, which is Envying other Mens Happiness, because their Station
is not equal to, or above, their Neighbours. Of this Sin I cannot say I ever
saw an Example, though they are a People that set as great a Value upon
themselves, as any sort of Men in the World; upon which Account they find
something Valuable in themselves above Riches. Thus, he that is a good
Warriour, is the proudest Creature living; and he that is an expert Hunter,
is esteem'd by the People and himself; yet all these are natural Vertues and
Gifts, and not Riches, which are as often in the Possession of a Fool as a
Wise-Man. Several of the Indians are possess'd of a great many Skins,
Wampum, Ammunition, and what other things are esteem'd Riches amongst
them; yet such an Indian is no more esteem'd amongst them, than any
other ordinary Fellow, provided he has no personal Endowments, which are the
Ornaments that must gain him an Esteem among them; for a great Dealer,
amongst the Indians, is no otherwise respected and esteemed, than as
a Man that strains his Wits, and fatigues himself, to furnish others with
Necessaries of Life, that live much easier and enjoy more of the World, than
he himself does, with all his Pelf. If they are taken Captives, and expect a
miserable Exit, they sing; if Death approach them in Sickness, they are not
afraid of it; nor are ever heard to say, Grant me some time. They know by
Instinct, and daily Example, that they must die; wherefore they have that
great and noble Gift, to submit to everything that happens, and value
nothing that attacks them.

Their Cruelty to their Prisoners of War is what they are seemingly guilty
of an Error in, (I mean as to a natural Failing) because they strive to
invent the most inhumane Butcheries for them, that the Devils themselves
could invent, or hammer out of Hell; they esteeming Death no Punishment, but
rather an Advantage to him, that is exported out of this into another World.

Therefore, they inflict on them Torments, wherein they prolong Life in
that miserable state as long as they can, and never miss Skulping of them,
as they call it, which is, to cut off the Skin from the Temples, and taking
the whole Head of Hair along with it, as if it was a Night-cap. Sometimes,
they take the Top of the Skull along with it; all which they preserve, and
carefully keep by them, for a Trophy of their Conquest over their Enemies.
Others keep their Enemies Teeth, which are taken in War, whilst others split
the Pitch-Pine into Splinters, and stick them into the Prisoners Body yet
alive. Thus they light them, which burn like so many Torches; and in this
manner, they make him dance round a great Fire, every one buffeting and
deriding him, till he expires, when every one strives to get a Bone or some
Relick of this unfortunate Captive. One of the young Fellows, that has been
at the Wars, and has had the Fortune to take a Captive, returns the proudest
Creature on Earth, and sets such a Value on himself, that he knows not how
to contain himself in his Senses. The Iroquois, or Sinnagars,
are the most Warlike Indians that we know of, being always at War,
and not to be persuaded from that Way of Living, by any Argument that can be
used. If you go to persuade them to live peaceably with the Tuskeruros,
and let them be one People, and in case those Indians desire it, and
will submit to them, they will answer you, that they cannot live without
War, which they have ever been used to; and that if Peace be made with the
Indians they now war withal, they must find out some others to wage
War against; for, for them to live in Peace, is to live out of their
Element, War, Conquest, and Murder, being what they delight in, and value
themselves for. When they take a Slave, and intend to keep him to Work in
their Fields, they flea the Skin from the Setting on of his Toes to the
middle of his Foot, so cut off one half of his Feet, wrapping the Skin over
the Wounds, and healing them. By this cruel Method, the Indian
Captive is hinder'd from making his Escape, for he can neither run fast or
go any where, but his Feet are more easily traced and discover'd. Yet I know
one Man who made his Escape from them, tho' they had thus disabled him, as
you may see in my Journal.

The Indians ground their Wars on Enmity, not on Interest, as the
Europeans generally do; for the Loss of the meanest person in the
Nation, they will go to War and lay all at Stake, and prosecute their Design
to the utmost; till the Nation they were injur'd by, be wholly destroy'd, or
make them that Satisfaction which they demand. They are very politick, in
waging, and carrying on their War, first by advising with all the ancient
Men of Conduct and Reason, that belong to their Nation; such as
superannuated War-Captains, and those that have been Counsellors for many
Years, and whose Advice has commonly succeeded very well. They have likewise
their Field Counsellors, who are accustomed to Ambuscades, and Surprizes,
which Methods are commonly used by the Savages; for I scarce ever heard of a
Field-Battle fought amongst them.

One of their Expeditions afforded an Instance, worthy mention, which was
thus; Two Nations of Indians here in Carolina were at War
together, and a Party of each were in the Forest ranging to see what Enemies
they could take. The lesser Number found they were discover'd, and could not
well get over a River (that lay between them and their home) without
engaging the other Party, whose Numbers were much the greater; so they
call'd a Council, which met, and having weigh'd their present Circumstances
with a great deal of Argument and Debate, for a considerable time, and found
their Enemies Advantage, and that they could expect no success in Engaging
such an unequal Number; they, at last, concluded on this Stratagem, which,
in my Opinion, carried a great deal of Policy along with it. It was, That
the same Night, they should make a great Fire, which they were certain would
be discover'd, by the adverse Party, and there dress up Logs of Wood in
their Cloaths, and make them exactly seem like Indians, that were
asleep by the Fireside; (which is their Way, when in the Woods) so, said
they, our enemies will fire upon these Images, supposing them to be us,
who will lie in Ambuscade, and, after their Guns are unloaded, shall deal
well enough with them. This Result was immediately put in Execution, and the
Fire was made by the side of a Valley, where they lay perdu very
advantageously. Thus, a little before Break of Day, (which commonly is the
Hour they surprize their Enemies in) the Indians came down to their
Fire, and at once fired in upon those Logs in the Indians Cloaths,
and run up to them, expecting they had kill'd every Man dead; but they found
themselves mistaken, for then the other Indians, who had lain all the
Night stark-naked in the Bottom, attack'd them with their loaded Pieces,
which so surprized them, that every Man was taken Prisoner, and brought in
bound to their Town.

Another Instance was betwixt the Machapunga Indians, and the
Coranine's, on the Sand-Banks; which was as follows. The Machapungas
were invited to a Feast, by the Coranines; (which two Nations had
been a long time at War together, and had lately concluded a Peace.)
Thereupon, the Machapunga Indians took the Advantage of coming to the
Coranines Feast, which was to avoid all Suspicion, and their King,
who, of a Savage, is a great Politician and very stout, order'd all his Men
to carry their Tamahauks along with them, hidden under their
Match-Coats, which they did; and being acquainted when to fall on, by the
Word given, they all (upon this Design) set forward for the Feast, and came
to the Coranine Town, where they had gotten Victuals, Fruit, and such
things as make an Indian Entertainment, all ready to make these new
Friends welcome, which they did; and, after Dinner, towards the Evening, (as
it is customary amongst them) they went to Dancing, all together; so when
the Machapunga King saw the best Opportunity offer, he gave the Word,
and his Men pull'd their Tamahauks or Hatchets from under their
Match-Coats, and kill'd several, and took the rest Prisoners, except some
few that were not present, and about four or five that escap'd. The
Prisoners they sold Slaves to the English. At the time this was done,
those Indians had nothing but Bows and Arrows, neither side having
Guns.

The Indians are very revengeful, and never forget an Injury done,
till they have receiv'd Satisfaction. Yet they are the freest from Heats and
Passions (which possess the Europeans) of any I ever heard of. They
never call any Man to account for what he did, when he was drunk; but say,
it was the Drink that caused his Misbehaviour, therefore he ought to be
forgiven: They never frequent a Christian's House that is given to Passion,
nor will they ever buy or sell with him, if they can get the same
Commodities of any other Person; for they say, such Men are mad Wolves, and
no more Men.

They know not what Jealousy is, because they never think their Wives are
unconstant, unless they are Eye-witnesses thereof. They are generally very
bashful, especially the young Maids, who when they come into a strange
Cabin, where they are not acquainted, never ask for any thing, though never
so hungry or thirsty, but sit down, without speaking a Word (be it never so
long) till some of the House asks them a Question, or falls into Discourse,
with the Stranger. I never saw a Scold amongst them, and to their Children
they are extraordinary tender and indulgent; neither did I ever see a Parent
correct a Child, excepting one Woman, that was the King's Wife, and she
(indeed) did possess a Temper that is not commonly found amongst them. They
are free from all manner of Compliments, except Shaking of Hands, and
Scratching on the Shoulder, which two are the greatest Marks of Sincerity
and Friendship, that can be shew'd one to another. They cannot express
fare you well; but when they leave the House, will say, I go
straightway, which is to intimate their Departure; and if the Man of the
House has any Message to send by the going Man, he may acquaint him
therewith. Their Tongue allows not to say, Sir, I am your Servant;
because they have no different Titles for Man, only King, War-Captain, Old
Man, or Young Man, which respect the Stations and Circumstances Men are
employ'd in, and arriv'd to, and not Ceremony. As for Servant, they have no
such thing, except Slave, and their Dogs, Cats, tame or domestick Beasts,
and Birds, are call'd by the same Name: For the Indian Word for Slave
includes them all. So when an Indian tells you he has got a Slave for
you, it may (in general Terms, as they use) be a young Eagle, a Dog, Otter,
or any other thing of that Nature, which is obsequiously to depend on the
Master for its Sustenance.

They are never fearful in the Night, nor do the Thoughts of Spirits ever
trouble them; such as the many Hobgoblins and Bugbears that we suck in with
our Milk, and the Foolery of our Nurses and Servants suggest to us; who by
their idle Tales of Fairies, and Witches, make such Impressions on our
tender Years, that at Maturity, we carry Pigmies Souls, in Giants Bodies,
and ever after are thereby so much depriv'd of Reason, and unman'd, as never
to be Masters of half the Bravery Nature design'd for us.

Not but that the Indians have as many Lying Stories of Spirits and
Conjurers, as any People in the World; but they tell it with no Disadvantage
to themselves; for the great Esteem which the Old Men bring themselves to,
is by making the others believe their Familiarity with Devils and Spirits,
and how great a Correspondence they have therewith, which if it once gains
Credit, they ever after are held in the greatest Veneration imaginable, and
whatever they after impose upon the People, is receiv'd as infallible. They
are so little startled at the Thoughts of another World, that they not
seldom murder themselves; as for Instance, a Bear-River Indian,
a very likely young Fellow, about twenty Years of Age, whose Mother was
angry at his drinking of too much Rum, and chid him for it, thereupon
reply'd, he would have her satisfied, and he would do the like no more; upon
which he made his Words good; for he went aside, and shot himself dead. This
was a Son of the Politick King of the Machapunga, I spoke of before,
and has the most Cunning of any Indian I ever met withal.

Most of the Savages are much addicted to Drunkenness, a Vice they never
were acquainted with, till the Christians came amongst them. Some of them
refrain drinking strong Liquors, but very few of that sort are found amongst
them. Their chief Liquor is Rum, without any Mixture. This the English
bring amongst them, and buy Skins, Furs, Slaves and other of their
Commodities therewith. They never are contented with a little, but when once
begun, they must make themselves quite drunk; otherwise they will never
rest, but sell all they have in the World, rather than not have their full
Dose. In these drunken Frolicks, (which are always carried on in the Night)
they sometimes murder one another, fall into the fire, fall down Precipices,
and break their Necks, with several other Misfortunes which this drinking of
Rum brings upon them; and tho' they are sensible of it, yet they have no
Power to refrain this Enemy. About five years ago, when Landgrave Daniel
was Governour, he summon'd in all the Indian Kings and Rulers to
meet, and in a full Meeting of the Government and Council, with those
Indians, they agreed upon a firm Peace, and the Indian Rulers
desired no Rum might be sold to them, which was granted, and a Law made,
that inflicted a Penalty on those that sold Rum to the Heathens; but it was
never strictly observ'd, and besides, the young Indians were so
disgusted at that Article, that they threatened to kill the Indians
that made it, unless it was laid aside, and they might have Rum sold them,
when they went to the Englishmens Houses to buy it.

Some of the Heathens are so very poor, that they have no Manner of
Cloaths, save a Wad of Moss to hide their Nakedness. These are either lusty
and will not work; otherwise, they are given to Gaming or Drunkenness; yet
these get Victuals as well as the rest, because that is common amongst them,
If they are caught in theft they are Slaves till they repay the Person, (as
I mention'd before) but to steal from the English they reckon no
Harm. Not but that I have known some few Savages that have been as free from
Theft as any of the Christians. When they have a Design to lie with a Woman,
which they cannot obtain any otherwise than by a larger Reward than they are
able to give, they then strive to make her drunk, which a great many of them
will be; then they take the Advantage, to do with them what they please, and
sometimes in their Drunkenness, cut off their Hair and sell it to the
English, which is the greatest Affront can be offer'd them. They never
value Time; for if they be going out to hunt, fish, or any other indifferent
Business, you may keep them in talk as long as you please, so you but keep
them in Discourse, and seem pleased with their Company; yet none are more
expeditious and safer Messengers than they, when any extraordinary Business
that they are sent about requires it.

When they are upon travelling the Woods, they keep a constant Pace,
neither will they stride over a Tree that lies cross the Path, but always go
round it, which is quite contrary to the Custom of the English, and
other Europeans. When they cut with a Knife, the Edge is towards
them, whereas we always cut and whittle from us. Nor did I ever see one of
them left-handed. Before the Christians came amongst them, not knowing the
Use of Steel and Flints, they got their Fire with Sticks, which by vehement
Collision, or Rubbing together, take Fire. This Method they will sometimes
practice now, when it has happen'd thro' rainy Weather, or some other
Accident, that they have wet their Spunk, which is a sort of soft corky
Substance, generally of a Cinnamon Colour, and grows in the concave part of
an Oak, Hiccory, and several other Woods, being dug out with an Ax, and
always kept by the Indians, instead of Tinder or Touch-wood, both
which it exceeds. You are to understand, that the two Sticks they use to
strike Fire withal, are never of one sort of Wood, but always differ from
each other.

They are expert Travellers, and though they have not the Use of our
artificial Compass, yet they understand the North-point exactly, let them be
in never so great a Wilderness. One Guide is a short Moss, that grows upon
some Trees, exactly on the North-Side thereof.

Besides, they have Names for eight of the thirty two Points, and call the
Winds by their several Names, as we do; but indeed more properly; for the
North-West Wind is called the cold Wind; the North-East the wet Wind; the
South the warm Wind, and so agreeably of the rest. Sometimes it happens,
that they have a large River or Lake to pass over, and the Weather is very
foggy, as it often happens in the Spring and Fall of the Leaf; so that they
cannot see which Course to steer: In such a Case, they being on one side of
the River, or Lake, they know well enough what Course such a Place (which
they intend for) bears from them. Therefore, they get a great many Sticks
and Chunks of Wood in their Canoe, and then set off directly for their Port,
and now and then throw over a Piece of Wood, which directs them, by seeing
how the Stick bears from the Canoes Stern, which they always observe to keep
right aft; and this is the Indian Compass by which they will go over
a broad Water of ten or twenty Leagues wide. They will find the Head of any
River, though it is five, six or seven hundred miles off, and they never
were there, in their Lives before; as is often prov'd, by their appointing
to meet on the Head of such a River, where perhaps, none of them ever was
before, but where they shall rendezvous exactly at the prefixt time; and if
they meet with any Obstruction, they leave certain Marks in the Way, where
they that come after will understand how many have pass'd by already, and
which way they are gone.

Besides, in their War Expeditions, they have very certain Hieroglyphicks,
whereby each Party informs the other of the Success or Losses they have met
withal; all which is so exactly perform'd by their Sylvian Marks and
Characters, that they are never at a Loss to understand one another. Yet
there was never found any Letters amongst the Savages of Carolina;
nor, I believe, among any other Natives in America, that were
possess'd with any manner of Writing or Learning throughout all the
Discoveries of the New-World. They will draw Maps, very exactly, of all the
Rivers, Towns, Mountains, and Roads, or what you shall enquire of them,
which you may draw by their Directions, and come to a small matter of
Latitude, reckoning by their Days Journeys. These Maps they will draw in the
Ashes of the Fire, and sometimes upon a Mat or Piece of Bark. I have put a
Pen and Ink into a Savage's Hand, and he has drawn me the Rivers, Bays, and
other Parts of a Country, which afterwards I have found to agree with a
great deal of Nicety: But you must be very much in their Favour, otherwise
they will never make these Discoveries to you; especially, if it be in their
own Quarters. And as for Mines of Silver and other Metals, we are satisfied
we have enow, and those very rich, in Carolina and its adjacent
Parts; some of which the Indians are acquainted withal, although no
Enquirers thereafter, but what came, and were discover'd, by Chance; yet
they say, it is this Metal that the English covet, as they do their
Peak and Ronoak; and that we have gain'd Ground of them
wherever we have come. Now, say they, if we should discover these Minerals
to the English, they would settle at or near these Mountains, and
bereave us of the best Hunting-Quarters we have, as they have already done
wherever they have inhabited; so by that means, we shall be driven to some
unknown Country, to live, hunt, and get our Bread in. These are the Reasons
that the Savages give, for not making known what they are acquainted withal,
of that Nature. And indeed, all Men that have ever gone upon those
Discoveries, allow them to be good; more especially, my ingenious Friend Mr.
Francis-Louis Mitchell, of Bern in Switzerland, who has
been, for several Years, very indefatigable and strict in his Discoveries
amongst those vast Ledges of Mountains, and spacious Tracts of Land, lying
towards the Heads of the great Bays and Rivers of Virginia,
Maryland, and Pensylvania, where he has discover'd a spacious
Country inhabited by none but the Savages, and not many of them; who yet are
of a very friendly Nature to the Christians. This Gentleman has been
employ'd by the Canton of Bern, to find out a Tract of Land in the
EnglishAmerica, where that Republick might settle some of their
People; which Proposal, I believe, is now in a fair way towards a
Conclusion, between her Majesty of Great-Britain and that Canton.
Which must needs be of great Advantage to both; and as for ourselves, I
believe, no Man that is in his Wits, and understands the situation and
Affairs of America, but will allow, nothing can be of more Security
and Advantage to the Crown and Subjects of Great-Britain, than to
have our Frontiers secured by a warlike People, and our Friends, as the
Switzers are; especially when we have more Indians than we can
civilize, and so many Christian Enemies lying on the back of us, that we do
know not how long or short a time it may be, before they visit us. Add to
these, the Effects and Product that may be expected from those Mountains;
which may hereafter prove of Advantage to the British Monarchy, and
none more fit than an industrious People, bred in a mountainous Country, and
inur'd to all the Fatigues of War and Travel, to improve a Country. Thus we
have no room to doubt, but as soon as any of those Parts are seated by the
Switzers, a great many Britains will strive to live amongst
them, for the Benefit of the sweet Air and healthful Climate, which that
Country affords, were it only for the Cultivating of Hemp, Flax, Wine, and
other valuable Staples, which those People are fully acquainted withal: Not
to mention the Advantages already discover'd by that worthy Gentleman I just
now spoke of, who is highly deserving of the Conduct and Management of such
an Affair, as that wise Canton has entrusted him withal.

When these Savages go a hunting, they commonly go out in great Numbers,
and oftentimes a great many Days Journey from home, beginning at the coming
in of the Winter; that is, when the Leaves are fallen from the Trees, and
are become dry. 'Tis then they burn the Woods, by setting Fire to the
Leaves, and wither'd Bent and Grass, which they do with a Match made of the
black Moss that hangs on the Trees in Carolina, and is sometimes
above six Foot long. This, when dead, becomes black, (tho' of an Ash-Colour
before) and will then hold Fire as well as the best Match we have in
Europe. In Places, where this Moss is not found, (as towards the
Mountains) they make Lintels of the Bark of Cypress beaten, which serve as
well. Thus they go and fire the Woods for many Miles, and drive the Deer and
other Game into small Necks of Land and Isthmus's, where they kill and
destroy what they please. In these Hunting-Quarters, they have their Wives
and Ladies of the Camp, where they eat all the Fruits and Dainties of that
Country, and live in all the Mirth and Jollity, which it is possible for
such People to entertain themselves withal. Here it is, that they get their
Complement of Deer-Skins and Furs to trade with the English, (the
Deer-Skins being in Season in Winter, which is contrary to England.)
All small Game, as Turkeys, Ducks, and small Vermine, they commonly kill
with Bow and Arrow, thinking it not worth throwing Powder and Shot after
them. Of Turkeys they have abundance; especially, in Oak-Land, as most of it
is, that lies any distance backwards. I have been often in their
Hunting-Quarters, where a roasted or barbakued Turkey, eaten with Bears Fat,
is held a good Dish; and indeed, I approve of it very well; for the Bears
Grease is the sweetest and least offensive to the Stomach (as I said before)
of any Fat of Animals I ever tasted. The Savage Men never beat their Corn to
make Bread; but that is the Womens Work, especially the Girls, of whom you
shall see four beating with long great Pestils in a narrow wooden Mortar;
and every one keeps her Stroke so exactly, that 'tis worthy of Admiration.
Their Cookery continues from Morning till Night. The Hunting makes them
hungry; and the Indians are a People that always eat very often, not
seldom getting up at Midnight, to eat. They plant a great many sorts of
Pulse, Part of which they eat green in the Summer, keeping great Quantities
for their Winter-Store, which they carry along with them into the
Hunting-Quarters, and eat them.

The small red Peaseis very common with them, and they eat a great
deal of that and other sorts boil'd with their Meat, or eaten with Bears
Fat, which Food makes them break Wind backwards, which the Men frequently
do, and laugh heartily at it,it being accounted no ill Manners
amongst the Indians; Yet the Women are more modest, than to follow
that ill Custom. At their setting out, they have Indians to attend
their Hunting-Camp, that are not good and expert Hunters; therefore are
employ'd to carry Burdens, to get Bark for the Cabins, and other Servile
Work; also to go backward and forward, to their Towns, to carry News to the
old People, whom they leave behind them. The Women are forced to carry their
Loads of Grain and other Provisions, and get Fire-Wood; for a good Hunter,
or Warriour in these Expeditions, is employ'd in no other Business, than the
Affairs of Game and Battle. The wild Fruits which are dry'd in the Summer,
over Fires, on Hurdles and in the Sun, are now brought into the Field; as
are likewise the Cakes and Quiddonies of Peaches, and that Fruit and
Bilberries dry'd, of which they stew and make Fruit-Bread and Cakes. In some
parts, where Pigeons are plentiful, they get of their Fat enough to supply
their Winter Stores. Thus they abide in these Quarters, all the Winter long,
till the Time approach for planting their Maiz and other Fruits. In these
quarters, at Spare-hours, the Women make Baskets and Mats to lie upon, and
those that are not extraordinary Hunters, make Bowls, Dishes, and Spoons, of
Gum-wood, and the Tulip-Tree; others (where they find a Vein of white Clay,
fit for their purpose) make Tobacco-pipes, all which are often transported
to other Indians, that perhaps have greater Plenty of Deer and other
Game; so they buy (with these Manufactures) their raw Skins, with the Hair
on, which our neighbouring Indians bring to their Towns, and in the
Summer-time, make the Slaves and sorry Hunters dress them, the Winter-Sun
being not strong enough to dry them; and those that are dry'd in the Cabins
are black and nasty with the Lightwood Smoke, which they commonly burn.
Their way of dressing their Skins is by soaking them in Water, so they get
the Hair off, with an Instrument made of the Bone of a Deer's Foot; yet some
use a sort of Iron Drawing-Knife, which they purchase of the English,
and after the Hair is off, they dissolve Deers Brains, (which beforehand are
made in a Cake and baked in the Embers) in a Bowl of Water, so soak the
Skins therein, till the Brains have suck'd up the Water; then they dry it
gently, and keep working it with an Oyster-Shell, or some such thing, to
scrape withal, till it is dry; whereby it becomes soft and pliable. Yet
these so dress'd will not endure wet, but become hard thereby; which to
prevent, they either cure them in the Smoke, or tan them with Bark, as
before observ'd; not but that young Indian Corn, beaten to a Pulp,
will effect the same as the Brains. They are not only good Hunters of the
wild Beasts and Game of the Forest, but very expert in taking the Fish of
the Rivers and Waters near which they inhabit, and are acquainted withal.
Thus they that live a great way up the Rivers practice Striking Sturgeon and
Rock-fish, or Bass, when they come up the Rivers to spawn; besides the vast
Shoals of Sturgeon which they kill and take with Snares, as we do Pike in
Europe. The Herrings in March and April run a great way up
the Rivers and fresh Streams to spawn, where the Savages make great Wares,
with Hedges that hinder their Passage only in the Middle, where an
artificial Pound is made to take them in; so that they cannot return. This
Method is in use all over the fresh Streams, to catch Trout and the other
Species of Fish which those Parts afford. Their taking of Craw-fish is so
pleasant, that I cannot pass it by without mention; When they have a mind to
get these Shell-fish, they take a Piece of Venison, and half-barbakue or
roast it; then they cut it into thin Slices, which Slices they stick through
with Reeds about six Inches asunder, betwixt Piece and Piece; then the Reeds
are made sharp at one end; and so they stick a great many of them down in
the bottom of the Water (thus baited) in the small Brooks and Runs, which
the Craw-fish frequent. Thus the Indians sit by, and tend those
baited Sticks, every now and then taking them up, to see how many are at the
Bait; where they generally find abundance; so take them off, and put them in
a Basket for the purpose, and stick the Reeds down again. By this Method,
they will, in a little time, catch several Bushels, which are as good, as
any I ever eat. Those Indians that frequent the Salt-Waters, take
abundance of Fish, some very large, and of several sorts, which to preserve,
they first barbakue, then pull the Fish to Pieces, so dry it in the Sun,
whereby it keeps for Transportation; as for Scate, Oysters, Cockles, and
several sorts of Shell-fish, they open and dry them upon Hurdles, having a
constant Fire under them. The Hurdles are made of Reeds of Canes in the
shape of a Gridiron. Thus they dry several Bushels of these Fish, and keep
them for their Necessities. At the time when they are on the Salts, and Sea
Coasts, they have another Fishery, that is for a little Shell-fish, which
those in England call Blackmoors Teeth. These they catch by tying
Bits of Oysters to a long String, which they lay in such places, as, they
know, those Shell-Fish haunt. These Fish get hold of the Oysters, and suck
them in, so that they pull up those long Strings, and take great Quantities
of them, which they carry a great way into the main Land, to trade with the
remote Indians, where they are of great Value; but never near the
Sea, by reason they are common, therefore not esteem'd. Besides, the Youth
and Indian Boys go in the Night, and one holding a Lightwood Torch,
the other has a Bow and Arrows, and the Fire directing him to see the Fish,
he shoots them with the Arrows; and thus they kill a great many of the
smaller Fry, and sometimes pretty large ones. It is an establish'd Custom
amongst all the Natives, that the young Hunter never eats of that Buck,
Bear, Fish, or any other Game, which happens to be the first they kill of
that sort; because they believe, if he should eat thereof, he would never
after be fortunate in Hunting. The like foolish Ceremony they hold, when
they have made a Ware to take Fish withal; if a big-belly'd Woman eat of the
first Dish that is caught in it, they say, that Ware will never take much
Fish; and as for killing of Snakes, they avoid it, if they lie in their way,
because their Opinion is, that some of the Serpents Kindred would kill some
of the Savages Relations, that should destroy him: They have thousands of
these foolish Ceremonies and Beliefs, which they are strict Observers of.
Moreover, several Customs are found in some Families, which others keep not;
as for Example, two Families of the Machapunga Indians, use the
Jewish Custom of Circumcision, and the rest do not; neither did I ever
know any others amongst the Indians, that practic'd any such thing;
and perhaps, if you ask them, what is the Reason they do so, they will make
you no Manner of Answer; which is as much as to say, I will not tell you.
Many other Customs they have, for which they will render no Reason or
Account; and to pretend to give a true Description of their Religion, it is
impossible; for there are a great many of their Absurdities, which, for some
Reason, they reserve as a Secret amongst themselves; or otherwise, they are
jealous of their Weakness in the practising them; so that they never
acquaint any Christian with the Knowledge thereof, let Writers pretend what
they will; for I have known them amongst their Idols and dead Kings in their
Quiogozon for several Days, where I could never get Admittance, to
see what they were doing, though I was at great Friendship with the King and
great Men; but all my Persuasions avail'd me nothing. Neither were any but
the King, with the Conjurer, and some few old Men, in that House; as for the
young Men, and chiefest Numbers of the Indians, they were kept as
ignorant of what the Elders were doing, as myself.

They all believe, that this World is round, and that there are two
Spirits; the one good, the other bad: The good one they reckon to be the
Author and Maker of every thing, and say, that it is he, that gives them the
Fruits of the Earth, and has taught them to hunt, fish, and be wise enough
to overpower the Beasts of the Wilderness, and all other Creatures, that
they may be assistant, and beneficial to Man; to which they add, that the
Quera, or good Spirit, has been very kind to the English Men, to
teach them to make Guns, and Ammunition, besides a great many other
Necessaries, that are helpful to Man, all which, they say, will be deliver'd
to them, when that good Spirit sees fit. They do not believe, that God
punishes any Man either in this Life, or that to come; but that he delights
in doing good, and in giving the Fruits of the Earth, and instructing us in
making several useful and ornamental things. They say, it is a bad Spirit,
(who lives separate from the good one) that torments us with Sicknesses,
Disappointments, Losses, Hunger, Travel, and all the Misfortunes, that Human
Life is incident to. How they are treated in the next World, I have already
mention'd, and, as I said before, they are very resolute in dying, when in
the Hands of Savage Enemies; yet I saw one of their young Men, a very likely
Person, condemn'd, on a Sunday, for Killing a Negro, and burning the
House. I took good Notice of his Behaviour, when he was brought out of the
House to die, which was the next Morning after Sentence, but he chang'd his
Countenance with Trembling, and was in the greatest Fear and Agony. I never
saw any Person under his Circumstances, which, perhaps, might be occasion'd
by his being deliver'd up by his own Nation (which was the Tuskeruro's)
and executed by us, that are not their common Enemies, though he met with
more Favour than he would have receiv'd at the Hands of Savages; for he was
only hang'd on a Tree near the Place where the Murder was committed; and the
three Kings, that but the day before shew'd such a Reluctancy to deliver him
up, (but would have given another in his Room) when he was hang'd, pull'd
him by the Hand, and said, Thou wilt never playany more Rogues
Tricks in this World; whither art thou gone toshew thy Tricks now?
Which shews these Savages to be what they really are, (viz) a
People that will save their own Men if they can, but if the Safety of all
the People lies at Stake, they will deliver up the most innocent Person
living, and be so far from Concern, when they have made themselves easy
thereby, that they will laugh at their Misfortunes, and never pity or think
of them more.

Their Priests are the Conjurers and Doctors of the Nation. I shall
mention some of their Methods, and Practices; and so leave them to the
Judgment of the Reader. As I told you before, the Priests make their
Orations at every Feast, or other great Meeting of the Indians. I
happen'd to be at one of these great Meetings, which was at the Funeral of a
Tuskeruro Indian, that was slain with Lightning at a Feast, the day
before, where I was amongst the rest; it was in July, and a very fair
day, where, in the Afternoon, about six or seven a Clock, as they were
dealing out their Victuals, there appear'd a little black Cloud to the North
West, which spread and brought with it Rain, Wind and Lightning; so we went
out from the Place where we were all at Victuals, and went down to the
Cabins where I left the Indians, and went to lie in my Canoe, which
was convenient enough to keep me dry. The Lightning came so terrible and
down in long Streams, that I was afraid it would have taken hold of a Barrel
of Powder I had in my Vessel, and so blown me up; but it pleas'd God, that
it did me no Harm; yet the Violence of the Wind had blown all the Water
away, where I rid at Anchor, so that my Canoe lay dry, and some Indian
Women came with Torches in their Hands to the side of the Canoe, and told
me, an Indian was kill'd with Lightning. The next day, (I think) he
was buried, and I stay'd to see the Ceremony, and was very tractable to help
the Indians to trim their Reeds, and make the Coffin, which pleased
them very much, being because I had a mind to see the Interment. Before he
was Interr'd according to their Custom, they dealt every one some hot
Victuals, which he took and did what he would with: Then the Doctor began to
talk, and told the People what Lightning was, and that it kill'd every thing
that dwelt upon the Earth; nay, the very Fishes did not escape; for it often
reach'd the Porpoises and other Fish, and destroy'd them; that every thing
strove to shun it, except the Mice, who, he said, were the busiest in eating
their Corn in the Fields, when it lightened the most. He added, that no Wood
or Tree could withstand it, except the black Gum, and that it would run
round that Tree a great many times, to enter therein, but could not effect
it. Now you must understand, that sort of Gum will not split or rive;
therefore, I suppose, the Story might arise from thence. At last, he began
to tell the most ridiculous, absurd Parcel of Lyes about Lightning, that
could be; as that an Indian of that Nation had once got Lightning in
the Likeness of a Partridge; That no other Lightning could harm him, whilst
he had that about him; and that after he had kept it for several Years, it
got away from him; so that he then became as liable to be struck with
Lightning, as any other Person. There was present at the same time, an
Indian that had liv'd from his Youth, chiefly in an English
House; so I call'd to him, and told him, what a Parcel of Lyes the Conjurer
told, not doubting but he thought so, as well as I, but I found to the
contrary; for he reply'd, that I was much mistaken, for that old Man (who, I
believe was upwards of an hundred Years old) did never tell Lyes; and as for
what he said, it was very true; for he knew it himself to be so. Thereupon,
seeing the Fellow's Ignorance, I talk'd no more about it. Then the Doctor
proceeded to tell a long Tale of a great Rattle-Snake, which, a great while
ago, liv'd by a Creek in that River (which was Neus) and that it
kill'd abundance of Indians; but at last, a bald Eagle kill'd it, and
they were rid of a Serpent, that us'd to devour whole Canoes full of
Indians, at a time. I have been something tedious upon this Subject, on
purpose to shew what strange ridiculous Stories these Wretches are
inclinable to believe. I suppose, these Doctors understand a little better
themselves, than to give Credit to any such Fooleries; for I reckon them the
cunningest Knaves in all the Pack. I will therefore begin with their Physick
and Surgery, which is next: You must know, that the Doctors or Conjurers, to
gain a greater Credit amongst these People, tell them, that all Distempers
are the Effects of evil Spirits, or the bad Spirit, which has struck them
with this or that Malady; therefore, none of these Physicians undertakes any
Distemper, but that he comes to an Exorcism, to effect the Cure, and
acquaints the sick Party's Friends, that he must converse with the good
Spirit, to know whether the Patient will recover or not; if so, then he will
drive out the bad Spirit, and the Patient will become well. Now, the general
way of their Behaviour in curing the Sick, (a great deal of which I have
seen, and shall give some Account thereof, in as brief a manner as possible)
is, when an Indian is sick, if they think there is much Danger of
Life, and that he is a great Man or hath good Friends, the Doctor is sent
for. As soon as the Doctor comes into the Cabin, the sick Person is set on a
Mat or Skin, stark-naked, lying on his Back, and all uncover'd, except some
small Trifle that covers their Nakedness when ripe, otherwise in very young
Children, there is nothing about them. In this manner, the Patient lies,
when the Conjurer appears; and the King of that Nation comes to attend him
with a Rattle made of a Gourd with Pease in it. This the King delivers into
the Doctor's Hand, whilst another brings a Bowl of Water, and sets it down:
Then the Doctor begins, and utters some few Words very softly; afterwards he
smells of the Patient's Navel and Belly, and sometimes scarifies him a
little with a Flint, or an Instrument made of Rattle-Snakes Teeth for that
purpose; then he sucks the Patient, and gets out a Mouthful of Blood and
Serum, but Serum chiefly; which, perhaps, may be a better Method
in many Cases, than to take away great Quantities of Blood, as is commonly
practic'd; which he spits in the Bowl of Water. Then he begins to mutter,
and talk apace, and, at last, to cut Capers, and clap his Hands on his
Breech and Sides, till he gets into a Sweat, so that a Stranger would think
he was running mad; now and then sucking the Patient, and so, at times,
keeps sucking, till he has got a great Quantity of very ill-coloured Matter
out of the Belly, Arms, Breast, Forehead, Temples, Neck, and most Parts,
still continuing his Grimaces, and antick Postures, which are not to be
match'd in Bedlam: At last, you will see the Doctor all over of a
dropping Sweat, and scarce able to utter one Word, having quite spent
himself; then he will cease for a while, and so begin again, till he comes
in the same Pitch of Raving and seeming Madness, as before, (all this time
the sick Body never so much as moves, although, doubtless, the Lancing and
Sucking must be a great Punishment to them; but they, certainly, are the
patientest and most steady People under any Burden, that I ever saw in my
Life.) At last, the Conjurer makes an end, and tells the Patient's Friends,
whether the Person will live or die; and then one that waits at this
Ceremony, takes the Blood away, (which remains in a Lump, in the middle of
the Water) and buries it in the Ground, in a Place unknown to any one, but
he that inters it. Now, I believe a great deal of Imposture in these
Fellows; yet I never knew their Judgment fail, though I have seen them give
their Opinion after this Manner, several times: Some affirm, that there is a
smell of Brimstone in the Cabins, when they are Conjuring, which I cannot
contradict. Which way it may come, I will not argue, but proceed to a
Relation or two, which I have from a great many Persons, and some of them
worthy of Credit.

The first is, of a certain Indian, that one rainy Night,
undermin'd a House made of Logs, (such as the Swedes in America
very often make, and are very strong) which belong'd to Seth Southwell,
Esq; Governor of North-Carolina, and one of the Proprietors. There
was but one place the Indian could get in at, which was very narrow;
the rest was secur'd, by having Barrels of Pork and other Provisions set
against the side of the House, so that if this Indian had not exactly
hit the very Place he undermin'd, it had been impossible for him to have got
therein, because of the full Barrels that stood round the House, and
barricadoed it within. The Indian stole sixty or eighty dress'd
Deer-Skins, besides Blankets, Powder, Shot and Rum, (this being the
Indian Store-House, where the Trading Goods were kept.) Now, the
Indian had made his Escape, but dropped some of the Skins by the way,
and they track'd his Foot-steps, and found him to be an Indian; then
they guess'd who it was, because none but that Indian had lately been
near the House. Thereupon, the Governor sent to the Indian Town that
he belong'd to, which was the Tuskeruro's, and acquainted them
that if they did not deliver up the Indian, who had committed the
Robbery, he would take a Course with them, that would not be very agreeable.
Upon this, the Indians of the Town he belong'd to, brought him in
bound, and deliver'd him up to the Governor, who laid him in Irons. At the
same time, it happen'd that a Robbery was committed amongst themselves, at
the Indian Town, and this Prisoner was one of their Conjurers; so the
Indians came down to the Governor's House, and acquainted him with
what had happen'd amongst them, and that a great Quantity of Peak,
was stoln away out of one of their Cabins, and no one could find out the
Thief, unless he would let the Prisoner conjure for it, who was the only Man
they had at making such Discoveries. The Governor was content he should try
his Skill for them, but not to have the Prisoners Irons taken off, which was
very well approved of. The Indian was brought out in his Fetters,
where were the Governor's Family, and several others of the Neighbourhood,
now living, to see this Experiment; which he perform'd thus.

The Conjurer order'd three Fires to be made in a triangular Form, which
was accordingly done; then he was hoodwink'd very securely, with a dress'd
Deer-Skin, two or three doubles, over his Face. After he had made some
Motions, as they always do, he went directly out of one of the three Gaps,
as exactly as if he had not been blindfolded, and kept muttering to himself,
having a Stick in his Hand, with which, after some time, he struck two
Strokes very hard upon the Ground, and made thereon a Cross, after which he
told the Indian's Name that had stoln the Goods, and said, that he
would have a Cross on his Back; which prov'd true; for when they took and
search'd him, there appear'd two great Wheals on his Back, one cross the
other; for the Thief was at Governor Southwell's House, and was under
no Apprehension of being discover'd. The Indians proffer'd to sell
him as a Slave to the Governor, but he refused to buy him; so they took him
bound away.

Another Instance, of the like Nature, happen'd at the same House. One of
the Tuskeruro Kings had brought in a Slave to the same Governor, to
whom he had sold him; and before he return'd fell sick at the Governor's
House; upon which, the Doctor that belong'd to this King's Nation, was sent
for, being a Man that was held to be the greatest Conjurer amongst them. It
was three Days, before he could arrive, and he appear'd (when he came) to be
a very little Man, and so old, that his Hair was as white as ever was seen.
When he approach'd the sick King, he order'd a Bowl of Water to be brought
him, and three Chunks of Wood, which was immediately done. Then he took the
Water, and set it by him, and spurted a little on him, and with the three
Pieces of Wood, he made a Place to stand on, whereby he was rais'd higher;
(he being a very low statur'd Man); then he took a String of Ronoak,
which is the same as a String of small Beads; this he held by one End,
between his Fingers; the other End touch'd the King's Stomach, as he stood
on the Logs. Then he began to talk, and at length, the By-standers thought
really, that they heard somebody talk to him, but saw no more than what
first came in. At last, this String of Beads, which hung thus perpendicular,
turn'd up as an Eel would do, and without any Motion of his, they came all
up (in a lump) under his Hand, and hung so for a considerable time, he never
closing his Hand, and at length return'd to their pristine Length and Shape,
at which the Spectators were much frightned. Then he told the Company, that
he would recover, and that his Distemper would remove into his Leg, all
which happen'd to be exactly as the Indian Doctor had told. These are
Matters of Fact, and I can, at this day, prove the Truth thereof by several
substantial Evidences, that are Men of Reputation, there being more than a
dozen People present, when this was perform'd; most of whom are now alive.

There are a great many other Stories, of this Nature, which are seemingly
true, being told by Persons that affirm they were Eye-Witnesses thereof; as,
that they have seen one Roncommock (a Chuwou Indian, and a
great Conjurer) take a Reed about two Foot long in his Mouth, and stand by a
Creek-side, where he call'd twice or thrice with the Reed in his Mouth; and,
at last, has open'd his Arms, and fled over the Creek, which might be near a
quarter of a Mile wide or more; but I shall urge no Man's Belief, but tell
my own; which is, that I believe the two first Accounts, which were acted at
Mr. Southwell's Plantation, as firmly as any Man can believe any
thing of that which is told him by honest Men, and he has not seen; not at
all doubting the Credit of my Authors.

The Cures I have seen perform'd by the Indians, are too many to
repeat here; so I shall only mention some few, and their Method. They cure
Scald-heads infallibly, and never miss. Their chief Remedy as I have seen
them make use of, is, the Oil of Acorns, but from which sort of Oak I am not
certain. They cure Burns beyond Credit. I have seen a Man burnt in such a
manner, (when drunk) by falling into a Fire, that I did not think he could
recover; yet they cur'd him in ten Days, so that he went about. I knew
another blown up with Powder, that was cured to Admiration. I never saw an
Indian have an Ulcer, or foul Wound in my Life; neither is there any
such thing to be found amongst them. They cure the Pox, by a Berry that
salivates, as Mercury does; yet they use Sweating and Decoctions very
much with it; as they do, almost on every Occasion; and when they are
thoroughly heated, they leap into the River. The Pox is frequent in some of
these Nations; amongst which I knew one Woman die of it; and they could not,
or would not, cure her. Before she died, she was worn away to a Skeleton,
yet walk'd up and down to the last. We had a Planter in Carolina, who
had got an Ulcer in his Leg, which had troubled him a great many Years; at
last, he apply'd himself to one of these Indian Conjurers, who was a
Pampticough Indian, and was not to give the Value of fifteen
Shillings for the Cure. Now, I am not positive, whether he wash'd the Ulcer
with any thing, before he used what I am now going to speak of, which was
nothing but the rotten doated Grains of Indian Corn, beaten to
Powder, and the soft Down growing on a Turkey's Rump. This dry'd the Ulcer
up immediately, and no other Fontanel was made to discharge the Matter, he
remaining a healthful Man, till the time he had the Misfortune to be
drown'd, which was many Years after. Another Instance (not of my own
Knowledge, but I had it confirm'd by several Dwellers in Maryland,
where it was done) was, of an honest Planter that had been possess'd with a
strange Lingring Distemper, not usual amongst them, under which he
emaciated, and grew every Month worse than another, it having held him
several Years, in which time he had made Tryal of several Doctors, as they
call them, which, I suppose, were Ship-Surgeons. In the beginning of this
Distemper, the Patient was very well to pass, and was possess'd of several
Slaves, which the Doctors purged all away, and the poor Man was so far from
mending, that he grew worse and worse every day. But it happen'd, that, one
day, as his Wife and he were commiserating his miserable Condition, and that
he could not expect to recover, but look'd for Death very speedily, and
condoling the Misery he should leave his Wife and Family in, since all his
Negro's were gone. At that time, I say, it happen'd, that an Indian
was in the same Room, who had frequented the House for many Years, and so
was become as one of the Family, and would sometimes be at this Planter's
House, and at other times amongst the Indians.

This Savage, hearing what they talk'd of, and having a great Love for the
Sick Man, made this Reply to what he had heard. Brother, you have
been a long time Sick; and, I know, you have given away
your Slaves to your English Doctors: What made you do
so, and now become poor? They do not know how to cure you; forit is an Indian Distemper, which your People know not the
Natureof. If it had been an English Disease, probably
they could havecured you; and had you come to me at first,
I would have cured you for a small matter, without taking away your
Servants that made Corn for you and your Family to eat; and yet,
if you will give me a Blanket to keep me warm, and some Powder and
Shot to kill Deer withal, I will do my best to make you well still.
The Man was low in Courage and Pocket too, and made the Indian
this Reply. Jack, my Distemper is past Cure, and if our
English Doctors cannot cureit, I am sure, the
Indians cannot. But his Wife accosted her Husband in very mild terms,
and told him, he did not know, but God might be pleased to give a Blessing
to that Indian's Undertaking more than he had done to the English;
and farther added; if you die, I cannotbe much more miserable,
by giving this small matter to the Indian; so I pray you,
my Dear, take my Advice, and try him; to which, by her
Persuasions, he consented. After the Bargain was concluded, the Indian
went into the Woods, and brought in both Herbs and Roots, of which he made a
Decoction, and gave it the Man to drink, and bad him go to bed, saying, it
should not be long, before he came again, which the Patient perform'd as he
had ordered; and the Potion he had administred made him sweat after the most
violent manner that could be, whereby he smell'd very offensively both to
himself, and they that were about him; but in the Evening, towards Night,
Jack came, with a great Rattle-Snake in his Hand alive, which frightned
the People almost out of their Senses; and he told his Patient, that he must
take that to Bed to him; at which the Man was in a great Consternation, and
told the Indian, he was resolv'd, to let no Snake come into his Bed,
for he might as well die of the Distemper he had, as be kill'd with the Bite
of that Serpent. To which the Indian reply'd, he could not bite him
now, nor do him any Harm; for he had taken out his Poison-teeth, and shew'd
him, that they were gone. At last, with much Persuasion, he admitted the
Snake's Company, which the Indian put about his Middle, and order'd
nobody to take him away upon any account, which was strictly observ'd,
although the Snake girded him as hard for a great while, as if he had been
drawn in by a Belt, which one pull'd at, with all his strength. At last, the
Snake's Twitches grew weaker and weaker, till, by degrees, he felt him not;
and opening the Bed, he was found dead, and the Man thought himself better.
The Indian came in the Morning, and seeing the Snake dead, told the
Man, that his Distemper was dead along with that Snake, which prov'd so as
he said; for the Man speedily recover'd his Health, and became perfectly
well.

They cure the Spleen (which they are much addicted to) by burning with a
Reed. They lay the Patient on his Back, so put a hollow Cane into the Fire,
where they burn the End thereof till it isvery hot, and on Fire at
the end. Then they lay a Piece of thin Leather on the Patient's Belly,
between the Pit of the Stomach and the Navel, so press the hot Reed on the
Leather, which burns the Patient so that you may ever after see the
Impression of the Reed where it was laid on, which Mark never goes off so
long as he lives. This is used for the Belly-Ach sometimes. They can colour
their Hair black, though sometimes it is reddish, which they do with the
Seed of a Flower that grows commonly in their Plantations. I believe this
would change the reddest Hair into perfect black. They make use of no
Minerals in their Physick, and not much of Animals; but chiefly rely on
Vegetables. They have several Remedies for the Tooth-ach, which often drive
away the Pain; but if they fail, they have Recourse to punching out the
Tooth, with a small Cane set against the same, on a Bit of Leather. Then
they strike the Reed, and so drive out the Tooth; and howsoever it may seem
to the Europeans, I prefer it before the common way of drawing Teeth
by those Instruments that endanger the Jaw, and a Flux of Blood often
follows, which this Method of a Punch never is attended withal; neither is
it half the Pain. The Spontaneous Plants of America the Savages are
well acquainted withal; and a Flux of Blood never follows any of their
Operations. They are wholly Strangers to Amputation, and for what natural
Issues of Blood happen immoderately, they are not to seek for a certain and
speedy Cure. Tears, Rozins, and Gums, I have not discover'd that they make
much use of; And as for Purging and Emeticks, so much in fashion with us,
they never apply themselves to, unless in drinking vast Quantities of their
Yaupon or Tea, and vomiting it up again, as clear as they drink it.
This is a Custom amongst all those that can procure that Plant, in which
manner they take it every other Morning, or oftener; by which Method they
keep their Stomachs clean, without pricking the Coats, and straining Nature,
as every Purge is an Enemy to. Besides, the great Diuretick Quality of their
Tea carries off a great deal, that perhaps might prejudice their Health, by
Agues, and Fevers, which all watry Countries are addicted to; for which
reason, I believe, it is, that the Indians are not so much addicted
to that Distemper, as we are, they preventing its seizing upon them, by this
Plant alone. Moreover, I have remark'd, that it is only those Places
bordering on the Ocean and great Rivers, that this Distemper is frequent in,
and only on and near the same Places this Evergreen is to be found; and none
up towards the Mountains, where these Agues seldom or never appear; Nature
having provided suitable Remedies, in all Countries, proper for the Maladies
that are common thereto. The Savages of Carolina have this Tea in
Veneration, above all the Plants they are acquainted withal, and tell you,
the Discovery thereof was by an infirm Indian, that labour'd under
the Burden of many rugged Distempers, and could not be cured by all their
Doctors; so, one day, he fell asleep, and dreamt, that if he took a
Decoction of the Tree that grew at his Head, he would certainly be cured;
upon which he awoke, and saw the Yaupon or Caffena-Tree, which
was not there when he fell asleep. He follow'd the Direction of his Dream,
and became perfectly well in a short time. Now, I suppose, no Man has so
little Sense as to believe this Fable; yet it lets us see what they intend
thereby, and that it has, doubtless, work'd Feats enough, to gain it such an
Esteem amongst these Savages, who are too well versed in Vegetables, to be
brought to a continual use of any one of them, upon a meer Conceit or Fancy,
without some apparent Benefit they found thereby; especially, when we are
sensible, they drink the Juices of Plants, to free Nature of her Burdens,
and not out of Foppery and Fashion, as other Nations are oftentimes found to
do. Amongst all the Discoveries of America, by the Missionaries of
the French and Spaniards, I wonder none of them was so kind to
the World, as to have kept a Catalogue of the Distempers they found the
Savages capable of curing, and their Method of Cure; which might have been
of some Advantage to our Materia Medica at home, when deliver'd by
Men of Learning, and other Qualifications, as most of them are. Authors
generally tell us, that the Savages are well enough acquainted with those
Plants which their Climate affords, and that some of them effect great
Cures, but by what Means, and in what Form, we are left in the dark. The
Bark of the Root of the Sassafras-Tree, I have observ'd, is much used by
them. They generally torrefy it in the Embers, so strip off the Bark from
the Root, beating it to a Consistence fit to spread, so lay it on the
griev'd Part; which both cleanses a fowl Ulcer; and after Scarrification,
being apply'd to a Contusion, or Swelling, draws forth the Pain, and reduces
the Part to its pristine State of Health, as I have often seen effected.
Fats and Unguents never appear in their Chirurgery, when the Skin is once
broke. The Fats of Animals are used by them, to render their Limbs pliable,
and when wearied, to relieve the Joints, and this not often, because they
approve of the Sweating-House (in such cases) above all things. The Salts
they mix with their Bread and Soupe, to give them a Relish, are Alkalis,
(viz.) Ashes, and calcined Bones of Deer, and other Animals. Sallads, they
never eat any; as for Pepper and Mustard, they reckon us little better than
Madmen, to make use of it amongst our Victuals. They are never troubled with
the Scurvy, Dropsy, nor Stone. The Phthisick, Asthma, and Diabetes, they are
wholly Strangers to; neither do I remember I ever saw one Paralytick amongst
them. The Gout, I cannot be certain whether they know what it is, or not.
Indeed, I never saw any Nodes or Swellings, which attend the Gout in
Europe; yet they have a sort of Rhumatism or Burning of the Limbs, which
tortures them grievously, at which time their Legs are so hot, that they
employ the young People continually to pour Water down them. I never saw but
one or two thus afflicted. The Struma is not uncommon amongst these Savages,
and another Distemper, which is, in some respects, like the Pox, but is
attended with no Gonorrhoea. This not seldom bereaves them of their
Nose. I have seen three or four of them render'd most miserable Spectacles
by this Distemper. Yet, when they have been so negligent, as to let it run
on so far without curbing of it; at last, they make shift to patch
themselves up, and live for many years after; and such Men commonly turn
Doctors. I have known two or three of these no-nose Doctors in great Esteem
amongst these Savages. The Juice of the Tulip-Tree is used as a proper
Remedy for this Distemper. What Knowledge they have in Anatomy, I cannot
tell, neither did I ever see them employ themselves therein, unless, as I
told you before, when they make the Skeletons of their Kings and great Mens
Bones. The Indians are very careless and negligent of their Health;
as, by Drunkenness, Wading in the Water, irregular Diet and Lodging, and a
thousand other Disorders, (that would kill an European) which they
daily use. They boil and roast their Meat extraordinary much, and eat
abundance of Broth, except the Savages whom we call the naked Indians,
who never eat any Soupe. They travel from the Banks of the Messiasippi,
to war against the Sinnagars or Iroquois, and are (if equal
Numbers) commonly too hard for them. They will lie and sleep in the Woods
without Fire, being inur'd thereto. They are the hardiest of all Indians,
and run so fast, that they are never taken, neither do any Indians
outrun them, if they are pursu'd. Their Savage Enemies say, their Nimbleness
and Wind proceeds from their never eating any Broth. The Small-Pox has been
fatal to them; they do not often escape, when they are seiz'd with that
Distemper, which is a contrary Fever to what they ever knew.

Most certain, it had never visited America, before the Discovery
thereof by the Christians. Their running into the Water, in the Extremity of
this Disease, strikes it in, and kills all that use it. Now they are become
a little wiser; but formerly it destroy'd whole Towns, without leaving one
Indian alive in the Village. The Plague was never known amongst them,
that I could learn by what Enquiry I have made: These Savages use
Scarrification almost in all Distempers. Their chief Instruments for that
Operation is the Teeth of Rattle-Snakes, which they poison withal. They take
them out of the Snake's Head, and suck out the Poison with their Mouths,
(and so keep them for use) and spit out the Venom, which is green, and are
never damag'd thereby. The Small-Pox and Rum have made such a Destruction
amongst them, that, on good grounds, I do believe, there is not the sixth
Savage living within two hundred Miles of all our Settlements, as there were
fifty Years ago. These poor Creatures have so many Enemies to destroy them,
that it's a wonder one of them is alive near us. The Small-Pox I have
acquainted you withal above, and so I have of Rum, and shall only add, that
they have got away to carry it back to the Westward Indians, who
never knew what it was, till within very few Years. Now they have it brought
them by the Tuskeruro's, and other Neighbour-Indians,
but the Tuskeruro's chiefly, who carry it in Rundlets several
hundred Miles, amongst other Indians. Some times they cannot forbear
breaking their Cargo, but sit down in the Woods, and drink it all up, and
then hollow and shout like so many Bedlamites. I accidentally once
met with one of these drunken Crews, and was amaz'd to see a Parcel of
drunken Savages so far from any Englishman's House; but the
Indians I had in Company inform'd me, that they were Merchants, and had
drunk all their Stock, as is very common for them to do. But when they
happen to carry it safe, (which is seldom, without drinking some part of it,
and filling it up with Water) and come to an Indian Town, those that
buy Rum of them have so many Mouthfuls for a Buck-Skin, they never using any
other Measure; and for this purpose, the Buyer always makes Choice of his
Man, which is one that has the greatest Mouth, whom he brings to the Market
with a Bowl to put it in. The Seller looks narrowly to the Man's Mouth that
measures it, and if he happens to swallow any down, either through
Wilfulness or otherwise, the Merchant or some of his Party, does not scruple
to knock the Fellow down, exclaiming against him for false Measure.
Thereupon, the Buyer finds another Mouthpiece to measure the Rum by; so that
this Trading is very agreeable to the Spectators, to see such a deal of
Quarrelling and Controversy, as often happens, about it, and is very
diverting. Another Destroyer of them, is, the Art they have, and often
practice, of poisoning one another; which is done by a large, white, spongy
Root, that grows in the Fresh-Marshes, which is one of their Poisons, not
but that they have many other Drugs, which they poison one another withal.
Lastly, the continual Wars these Savages maintain, one Nation against
another, which sometimes hold for some Ages, killing and making Captives,
till they become so weak thereby, that they are forced to make Peace for
want of Recruits, to supply their Wars; and the Difference of Languages,
that is found amongst these Heathens, seems altogether strange. For it often
appears, that every dozen Miles, you meet with an Indian Town, that
is quite different from the others you last parted withal; and what a little
supplies this Defect is, that the most powerful Nation of these Savages
scorns to treat or trade with any others (of fewer Numbers and less Power)
in any other Tongue but their own, which serves for the Lingua of the
Country, with which we travel and deal; as for Example, we see that the
Tuskeruro's are most numerous in North-Carolina, therefore
their Tongue is understood by some in every Town of all the Indians
near us. And here I shall insert a small Dictionary of every Tongue, though
not Alphabetically digested.

English.

Tuskeruro.

Pampticough.

Woccon.

One

Unche

Weembot

Tonne

Two

Necte

Neshinnauh

Num-perre

Three

Ohs-sah

Nish-wonner

Nam-mee

Four

Untoc

Yau-Ooner

Punnum-punne

Five

Ouch-whe

Umperren

Webtau

Six

Houeyoc

Who-yeoc

Is-sto

Seven

Chauh-noc

Top-po-osh

Nommis-sau

Eight

Nec-kara

Nau-haush-shoo

Nupsau

Nine

Wearah

Pach-ic-conk

Weihere

Ten

Wartsauh

Cosh

Soone noponne

Eleven

Unche scauwhau

Tonne hauk pea

Twelve

Nectec scaukhau

Soone nomme

Twenty

Wartsau scauhau

Winnop

Thirty

Ossa te wartsau

Hundred

Youch se

Thousand

Ki you se

Rum

Oonaquod

Weesaccon

Yup-se

Blankets

Oorewa

Mattosh

Roo-iune

White

Ware-occa

Wop-poshaumosh

Waurraupa

Red

Cotcoo-rea

Mish-cosk

Yauta

Black or Blue, idem

Caw-hunshe

Mow-cottowosh

Yah-testea

Gunpowder

Ou-kn

Pungue

Rooeyam

Shot

Cauna

Ar-rounser

Week

Axe

Au-nuka

Tomma-hick

Tau-unta winnik

Knife

Oosocke nauh

Rig-cosq

Wee

Tobacco

Charho

Hooh-pau

Uu-coone

Shirt

Ough-tre's

Tacca-pitteneer

Shoes

Oo-ross-soo

Wee-kessoo

Hat

Trossa

Mottau-quahan

Intome-posswa

Fire

Utchar

Tinda

Yau

Water

Awoo

Umpe

Ejau

Coat

Ouswox

Taus-won

Rummissau

Kawhitchra

Awl or Needle

Oose-waure

Moc-cose

Wonsh-shee

A Hoe

Wauche-wocnoc

Rosh-shocquon

Rooe-pau

Salt

Cheek-ha

Paint

Quaunt

Chuwon

Whooyeonne

Ronoak

Nauh-houreot

Mis-kis-'su

Rummaer

Peak

Chu-teche

Ronoak

Erroco

Gun

Auk-noc

Gau hooptop

Wittape

Gun-Lock

Oo-teste

Gun tock Seike

Noonkosso

Flints

Ou-negh-ra

Hinds

Matt-teer

A Flap

Oukhaure

Rappatoc

Rhooeyau

Belt

Oona-teste

Maachone

Wee-kau

Scissors and Tobacco-Tongues

Cheh-ra

Toc-koor

A Kettle

Oowaiana

Tooseawau

A Pot

Ocnock

Acorns

Kooawa

Roosomme

A Pine-Tree

Heigta

Onnossa

Hooheh

Englishman

Nickreruroh

Tosh shonte

Wintsohore

Indians

Unqua

Nuppin

Yauh-he

English.

Tuskeruro.

Woccon.

A Horse

A hots

Yenwetoa

Swine

Watsquerre

Nommewarraupau

Moss

Auoona hau

Itto

Raw skin undrest

Ootahawa

Teep

Buckskin

Ocques

Rookau

Fawn-skin

Ottea

Wisto

Bear-skin

Oochehara

Ourka

Fox-skin

Che-chou

Hannatockore

Raccoon-skin

Roo-sotto

Auher

Squirrel-skin

Sost

Yehau

Wildcat-skin

Cauhauweana

Panther-skin

Caunerex

Wattau

Wolf

Squarrena

Tire kiro

Min

Chac-kauene

Soccon

Otter

Chaunoc

Wetkes

A Mat

Ooyethne

Soppepepor

Basket

Ooyaura

Rookeppa

Feathers

Oosnooqua

Soppe

Drest-skin

Cotcoo

Rauhau

A Turkey

Coona

Yauta

A Duck

Sooeau

Welka

A King

Teethha

Roamore at

Fat

Ootsaure

Yendare

Soft

Utsauwanne

Roosomme

Hard or heavy

Waucots ne

Itte teraugh

A Rope

Utsera

Trauhe

A Possum

Che-ra

Day

Ootauh-ne

A Pestel

Tic-caugh-ne

Miyau

A Mortar

Ootic caugh-ne

Yossoo

Stockings

Way haushe

A Creek

Wackena

A River

Ahunt wackena

A Man

Entequos

Old Man

Occooahawa

Young Man

Quottis

Woman

Con-noowa

Old Woman

Cusquerre

Yicau

Wife

Kateocca

Yecauau

A Child

Woccanookne

A Boy

Wariaugh

Infant

Utserosta

Ears

Ooethnat

Fishgig

Ootosne

Weetipsa

A Comb

Oonaquitchra

Sacketoome posswa

A Cake bak't

Ooneck

A Head

Ootaure

Poppe

Hair

Oowaara

Tumme

Brother

Caunotka

Yenrauhe

I

Ee

Thou

Eets

There

Ka

Homine

Cotquerre

Roocauwa

Bread

Ootacnare

Ikettau

Broath

Oook-hoo

Corn

Oonaha

Cose

Oonave

Oosare

Oosha

Pease

Saugh-he

Coosauk

A Bag

Uttaqua

Ekoocromon

Fish

Cunshe

Yacunne

A Louse

Cheecq;

Eppesyau

A Flea

Nauocq;

Potato's

Untone

Wauk

A Stick

Chinqua

Wood

Ouyunkgue

Yonne

House

Ounouse

Ouke

A Cow

Ous-sarunt

Noppinjure

A Snake

Us-quauh-ne

Yau-hauk

A Rat

Rusquiane

Wittau

A Goose

Au-hoohaha

Auhaun

A Swan

Oorhast

Atter

Allegator

Utsererauh

Monwittetau

A Crab

Rouare cou

Wunneau

A Canoe

Ooshunnawa

Watt

A Box

Ooanoo

Yopoonitsa

A Bowl

Ortse

Cotsoo

A Spoon

Oughquere

Cotsau

A Path

Wauh-hauhne

Yauh

Sun or Moon

Heita

Wittapare

Wind

Hoonoch

Yuncor

A Star

Uttewiraratse

Wattapi untakeer

Rain

Untuch

Yawowa

Auhuntwood

Night

Oosottoo

Yantoha

A Rundlet

Oohunawa

Ynpyupseunne

An Eel

Cuhn-na

A T---d

Utquera

Pulawa

A F---t

Uttena

Pautyau

A Cable

Utquichra

Small ropes

Utsera utquichra

A Button

Tic-hah

Rummissauwoune

Breeches

Wahunshe

Rooeyaukitte

Stockings

Oowissera

Rooesoo possoo

Day

Wauwoc-hook

Waukhaway

Mad

Cosserunte

Rockcumne

Angry

Cotcheroore

Roocheha

Afraid

Werricauna

Reheshiwau

Smoak

Oo-teighne

Too-she

A Thief or Rogue

Katichhei

A Dog

Cheeth

Tauh-he

A Reed

Cauna

Weekwonne

Lightwood

Kakoo

Sek

To morrow

Jureha

Kittape

Now

Kahunk

To day

Kawa

A little while ago

Kakoowa

Yauka

Yesterday

Oousotto

Yottoha

How many

Ut-tewots

Tontarinte

How far

Untateawa

Will you go along with me

Unta hah

Quauke

Go you

Its warko

Yuppa me

Give it me

Cotshau

Mothei

That's all

Ut chat

Cuttaune

A Cubit length

Kihoosocca

Ishewounaup

Dead

Whaharia

Caure

A Gourd or Bottle

Utchaawa

Wattape

A lazy Fellow

Wattattoo watse

Tontaunete

Englishman is thirsty

Oukwockaninniwock

I will sell you Goods very
cheap

Wausthanocha

Nau hou hoore-ene

All the Indians are drunk

Connaugh jost twane

Nonnupper

Have you got any thing to eat

Utta-ana-wox

Noccoo Eraute

I am sick

Connauwox

Waurepa

A Fish-Hook

Oos-skinna

Don't lose it

Oon est nonne it quost

A Tobacco-pipe

Oosquaana

Intom

I remember it

Oonutsauka

Aucummato

Let it alone

Tnotsaurauweek

Sauhau

Peaches

Roo-ooe

Yonne

Walnuts

Rootau-ooe

Hickery Nuts

Rootau

Nimmia

A Jew's-Harp

Ooratsa

Wottiyau

I forget it

Merrauka

Northwest-Wind

Hothooka

Snow

Acaunque

Wawawa

To repeat more of this Indian Jargon, would be to trouble the
Reader; and as an Account how imperfect they are in their Moods and Tenses,
has been given by several already, I shall only add, that their Languages or
Tongues are so deficient, that you cannot suppose the Indians ever
could express themselves in such a Flight of Stile, as Authors would have
you believe. They are so far from it,that they are but just able to
make one another understand readily what they talk about. As for the two
Consonants L and F, I never knew them in any Indian
Speech I have met withal; yet I must tell you, that they have such a Way of
abbreviating their Speech, when in their great Councils and Debates, that
the young Men do not understand what they treat about, when they hear them
argue. It is wonderful, what has occasion'd so many different Speeches as
the Savages have. The three Nations I now mention'd, do not live above ten
Leagues distant, and two of them, viz. the Tuskeruro's and the
Woccon, are not two Leagues asunder; yet their Speech differs in
every Word thereof, except one, which is Tsaure, Cockles,
which is in both Tongues the same, and nothing else. Now this Difference of
Speech causes Jealousies and Fears amongst them, which bring Wars, wherein
they destroy one another; otherwise the Christians had not (in all
Probability) settled America so easily, as they have done, had these
Tribes of Savages united themselves into one People or general Interest, or
were they so but every hundred Miles. In short, they are an odd sort of
People under the Circumstances they are at present, and have some such
uncouth Ways in their Management and Course of Living, that it seems a
Miracle to us, how they bring about their Designs, as they do, when their
Ways are commonly quite contrary to ours. I believe, they are (as to this
Life) a very happy People; and were it not for the Feuds amongst themselves,
they would enjoy the happiest State (in this World) of all Mankind. They met
with Enemies when we came amongst them; for they are no nearer Christianity
now, than they were at the first Discovery, to all Appearance. They have
learnt several Vices of the Europeans, but not one Vertue, as I know
of. Drunkenness was a Stranger, when we found them out, and Swearing their
Speech cannot express; yet those that Speak English, learn to swear
the first thing they talk of. It's true, they have some Vertues and some
Vices; but how the Christians can bring these People into the Bosom of the
Church, is a Proposal that ought to be form'd and follow'd by the wisest
Heads and best Christians. After I have given one Remark or two farther, of
some of their strange Practices and Notions, I will give my Opinion, how I
think, in probability, it may be (if possible) effected, and so shall
conclude this Treatise of Carolina. They are a very craving People,
and if a Man give them any thing of a Present, they think it obliges himto give them another; and so on, till he has given them all he has; for
they have no Bounds of Satisfaction in that way; and if they give you any
thing, it is to receive twice the Value of it. They have no Consideration
that you will want what you give them; for their way of Living is so
contrary to ours, that neither we nor they can fathom one anothers Designs
and Methods. They call Rum and Physick by one Name, which implies that Rum
make People sick, as when they have taken any poisonous Plant; yet they
cannot forbear Rum. They make Offerings of their First-Fruits, and the most
serious sort of them throw into the Ashes, near the Fire, the first Bit or
Spoonful of every Meal they sit down to, which, they say, is the same to
them, as the pulling off our Hats, and talking, when we go to Victuals, is
to us. They name the Months very agreeably, as one is the Herring-Month,
another the Strawberry-Month, another the Mulberry-Month. Others name them
by the Trees that blossom; especially, the Dog-Wood Tree; or they say, we
will return when Turkey-Cocks gobble, that is in March and April.
The Age of the Moon they understand, but know no different Name for Sun and
Moon. They can guess well at the time of the Day, by the Sun's Height. Their
Age they number by Winters, and say, such a Man or Woman is so many Winters
old. They have no Sabbath, or Day or Rest. Their Slaves are not
over-burden'd with Work, and so not driven by Severity to seek for that
Relief. Those that are acquainted with the English, and speak the
Tongue, know when Sunday comes; besides, the Indians have a
distinct Name for Christmas which they call WinnickKeshuse,
or the EnglishmansGodsMoon. There is one most abominable Custom
amongst them, which they call Husquenawing their young Men; which I
have not made any Mention of as yet, so will give you an Account of it here.
You must know, that most commonly, once a Year, or, at farthest, once in two
Years, these People take up so many of their young Men, as they think are
able to undergo it, and husquenaugh them, which is to make them
obedient and respective to their Superiors, and (as they say) is the same to
them, as it is to us to send our Children to School, to be taught good
Breeding and Letters. This House of Correction is a large strong Cabin, made
on purpose for the Reception of the young Men and Boys, that have not passed
this Graduation already; and it is always at Christmas that they
husquenaugh their Youth, which is by bringing them into this House, and
keeping them dark all the time, where they more than half-starve them.
Besides, they give them Pellitory-Bark, and several intoxicating Plants,
that make them go raving mad as ever were any People in the World; and you
may hear them make the most dismal and hellish Cries, and Howlings, that
ever human Creatures express'd; all which continues about five or six Weeks,
and the little Meat they eat, is the nastiest, loathsome stuff, and mixt
with all manner of Filth it is possible to get. After the Time is expired,
they are brought out of the Cabin, which never is in the Town, but always a
distance off, and guarded by a Jaylor or two, who watch by Turns. Now when
they first comeout,they are as poor as ever any Creatures were; for
you must know several die under this diabolical Purgation. Moreover, they
either really are, or pretend to be dumb, and do not speak for several Days;
I think, twenty or thirty; and look so ghastly, and are so chang'd, that
it's next to an Impossibility to know them again, although you was never so
well acquainted with them before. I would fain have gone into the mad House,
and have seen them in their time of Purgatory, but the King would not suffer
it, because, he told me, they would do me, or any other white Man, an
Injury, that ventured in amongst them; so I desisted. They play this Prank
with Girls as well as Boys, and I believe it a miserable Life they endure,
because I have known several of them run away, at that time, to avoid it.
Now, the Savages say, if it was not for this, they could never keep their
Youth in Subjection, besides that it hardens them ever after to the Fatigues
of War, Hunting, and all manner of Hardship, which their way of living
exposes them to. Besides, they add, that it carries off those infirm weak
Bodies, that would have been only a Burden and Disgrace to their Nation, and
saves the Victuals and Cloathing for better People, that would have been
expended on such useless Creatures. These Savages are described in their
proper Colours, but by a very few; for those that generally write Histories
of this new World, are such as Interest, Preferment, and Merchandize, drew
thither, and know no more of that People than I do of the Laplanders,
which is only by Hear-say. And if we will make just Remarks, how near such
Relations generally approach Truth and Nicety, we shall find very few of
them worthy of Entertainment; and as for the other part of the Volume, it is
generally stufft with Invectives against the Government they lived under, on
which Stage is commonly acted greater Barbarities, in Murdering worthy Mens
Reputations, than all the Savages in the new World are capable of
equalizing, or so much as imitating. And since I hinted at a Regulation of
the Savages, and to propose a way to convert them to Christianity, I will
first particularize the several Nations of Indians that are our
Neighbours, and then proceed to what I promis'd. TuskeruroIndians
are fifteen Towns, viz. Haruta, Waqui, Contah-nah,
Anna Ooka, Conauh-Kare Harooka, Una Nauhan,
Kentanuska, Chunaneets, Kenta, Eno, Naur-hegh-ne,
Oonossoora, Tosneoc, Nonawharitse, Nursoorooka;
Fighting Men 1200. Waccon. Towns 2, Yupwauremau,
Tooptatmeer, Fighting Men 120. Machapunga, Town 1, Maramiskeet,
Fighting Men 30. Bear River, Town 1,Raudauqua-quank,
Fighting Men 50. MaherringIndians, Town1,
Maherring River, Fighting Men 50. ChuwonIndians, Town 1,Bennets Creek, Fighting Men 15. PaspatankIndians,
Town 1,Paspatank River, Fighting Men 10. Poteskeit,
Town 1,North River, Fighting Men 30. Nottaway
Indians, Town 1, Winoack Creek, Fighting Men 30. Hatteras
Town 1,Sand Banks, Fighting Men 16. ConnamoxIndians,
Towns 2, Coranine, Raruta, Fighting Men 25. Neus
Indians, Towns 2,Chattooka, Rouconk, Fighting Men
15. PampticoughIndians, Town 1,Island,
Fighting Men 15. JaupimIndians, 6 People. These five Nations
of the Totero's, Sapona's, Keiauwee's, Aconechos,
and Schoccories, are lately come amongst us, and may contain, in all,
about 750 Men, Women and Children. Total 4780.

Now, there appears to be one thousand six hundred and twelve Fighting
Men, of our Neighbouring Indians; and probably, there are three
Fifths of Women and Children, not including Old Men, which amounts to four
thousand and thirty Savages, besides the five Nations lately come. Now, as I
before hinted, we will see what grounds there are to make these People
serviceable to us, and better themselves thereby. On a fair Scheme, we must
first allow these Savages what really belongs to them, that is, what good
Qualities, and natural Endowments, they possess, whereby they being in their
proper Colours, the Event may be better guess'd at, and fathom'd. First,
they are as apt to learn any Handicraft, as any People that the World
affords; I will except none, as is seen by their Canoes and Stauking Heads,
which they make of themselves; but to my purpose, the Indian Slaves
in South Carolina, and elsewhere, make my Argument good. Secondly, we
have no disciplin'd Men in Europe but what have, at one time or
other, been branded with Mutining, and Murmuring against their Chiefs. These
Savages are never found guilty of that great Crime in a Soldier; I challenge
all Mankind to tell me of one Instance of it; besides, they never prove
Traitors to their Native Country, but rather chuse Death than partake and
side with the Enemy. They naturally possess the Righteous Man's Gift; they
are Patient under all Afflictions, and have a great many other Natural
Vertues, which I have slightly touch'd throughout the Account of these
Savages. They are really better to us, than we are to them; they always give
us Victuals at their Quarters, and take care we are arm'd against Hunger and
Thirst: We not do so by them (generally speaking) but let them walk by our
Doors Hungry, and do not often relieve them. We look upon them with Scorn
and Disdain, and think them little better than Beasts in Humane Shape,
though if well examined, we shall find that, for all our Religion and
Education, we possess more Moral Deformities, and Evils than these Savages
do, or are acquainted withal. We reckon them Slaves in Comparison to us, and
Intruders, as oft as they enter our Houses, or hunt near our Dwellings. But
if we will admit Reason to be our Guide, she will inform us, that these
Indians are the freest People in the World, and so far from being
Intruders upon us, that we have abandon'd our own Native Soil, to drive them
out, and possess theirs; neither have we any true Balance, in Judging of
these poor Heathens, because we neither give Allowance for their Natural
Disposition, nor the Sylvian Education, and strange Customs, (uncouth to us)
they lie under and have ever been train'd up to; these are false Measures
for Christians to take, and indeed no Man can be reckon'd a Moralist only,
who will not make choice and use, of better Rules to walk and act by: We
trade with them, it's true, but to what End? Not to shew them the Steps of
Vertue, and the Golden Rule, to do as we would be done by. No, we have
furnished them with the Vice of Drunkenness, which is the open Road to all
others, and daily cheat them in every thing we sell, and esteem it a Gift of
Christianity, not to sell them so cheap as we do to the Christians, as we
call ourselves. Pray let me know where is there to be found one Sacred
Command or Precept of our Master, that counsels us to such Behavior?
Besides, I believe it will not appear, but that all the Wars, which we have
had with the Savages, were occasion'd by the unjust Dealings of the
Christians towards them. I can name more than a few, which my own Enquiry
has given me a right Understanding of, and I am afraid the remainder (if
they come to the test) will prove themselves Birds of the same Feather. As
we are in Christian Duty bound, so we must act and behave ourselves to these
Savages, if we either intend to be serviceable in converting them to the
Knowledge of the Gospel, or discharge the Duty which every Man, within the
Pale of the Christian Church, is bound to do. Upon this Score, we ought to
shew a Tenderness for these Heathens under the weight of Infidelity; let us
cherish their good Deeds, and, with Mildness and Clemency, make them
sensible and forwarn them of their ill ones; let our Dealings be just to
them in every Respect, and shew no ill Example, whereby they may think we
advise them to practise that which we will not be conformable to ourselves:
Let them have cheap Penniworths (without Guile in our Trading with them) and
learn them the Mysteries of our Handicrafts, as well as our Religion,
otherwise we deal unjustly by them. But it is highly necessary to be brought
in Practice, which is, to give Encouragement to the ordinary People, and
those of a lower Rank, that they might marry with these Indians, and
come into Plantations, and Houses, where so many Acres of Land and some
Gratuity of Money, (out of a publick Stock) are given to the new-married
Couple; and that the Indians might have Encouragement to send their
Children Apprentices to proper Masters, that would be kind to them, and make
them Masters of a Trade, whereby they would be drawn to live amongst us, and
become Members of the same Ecclesiastical and Civil Government we are under;
then we should have great Advantages to make daily Conversions amongst them,
when they saw that we were kind and just to them in all our Dealings.
Moreover, by the Indians Marrying with the Christians, and coming
into Plantations with their English Husbands, or Wives, they would
become Christians, and their Idolatry would be quite forgotten, and, in all
probability, a better Worship come in its Stead; for were the Jews
engrafted thus, and alienated from the Worship and Conversation of Jews,
their Abominations would vanish, and be no more. Thus we should be let into
a better Understanding of the Indian Tongue, by our new Converts; and
the whole Body of these People would arrive to the Knowledge of our Religion
and Customs, and become as one People with us. By this Method also, we
should have a true Knowledge of all the Indians Skill in Medicine and
Surgery; they would inform us of the Situation of our Rivers, Lakes, and
Tracts of Land in the Lords Dominions, where by their Assistance, greater
Discoveries may be made than has been hitherto found out, and by their
Accompanying us in our Expeditions, we might civilize a great many other
Nations of the Savages, and daily add to our Strength in Trade, and
Interest; so that we might be sufficiently enabled to conquer, or maintain
our Ground, against all the Enemies to the Crown of England in
America, both Christian and Savage. What Children we have of theirs, to
learn Trades, &c. ought to be put into those Hands that are Men of
the best Lives and Characters, and that are not only strict Observers of
their Religion, but also of a mild, winning and sweet Disposition, that
these Indian Parents may often go and see how well their Children are
dealt with, which would much win them to our Ways of Living, Mildness being
a Vertue the Indians are in love withal, for they do not practice
beating and correcting their Children, as we do. A general Complaint is,
that it seems impossible to convert these People to Christianity, as, at
first sight, it does; and as for those in New Spain, they have the
Prayer of that Church in Latin by Rote, and know the external Behaviour at
Mass and Sermons; yet scarce any of them are steady and abide with constancy
in good Works, and the Duties of the Christian Church. We find that the
Fuentes and several other of the noted Indian Families about
Mexico, and in other parts of New Spain, had given several large
Gifts to the Altar, and outwardly seem'd fond of their new Religion; yet
those that were the greatest Zealots outwards, on a strict Enquiry, were
found guilty of Idolatry and Witchcraft; and this seems to proceed from
their Cohabiting, which, as I have noted before, gives Opportunities of
Cabals to recal their ancient pristine Infidelity and Superstitions. They
never argue against our Religion, but with all imaginable Indifference own,
that it is most proper for us that have been brought up in it. In my
opinion, it's better for the Christians of a mean Fortune to marry with the
Civiliz'd Indians, than to suffer the Hardships of four or five years
Servitude, in which they meet with Sickness and Seasonings amidst a Crowd of
other Afflictions, which the Tyranny of a bad Master lays upon such poor
Souls, all which those acquainted with our Tobacco Plantations are not
Strangers to. This seems to be a more reasonable Method of converting the
Indians, than to set up our Christian Banner in a Field of Blood, as the
Spaniards have done in NewSpain, and baptize one
hundred with the Sword for one at the Font. Whilst we make way for a
Christian Colony through a Field of Blood, and defraud, and make away with
those that one day may be wanted in this World, and in the next appear
against us, we make way for a more potent Christian Enemy to invade us
hereafter, of which we may repent, when too late.